House of Commons Hansard #147 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was information.
Josée Beaudin Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives managed to find the money needed to build a new bridge in Windsor, Ontario. They even advanced $550 million to help Michigan pay for its share. However, when the time comes to replace the busiest bridge in Canada, which is in Quebec, they cannot come up with the money. That is just wrong.
When will Quebec's needs get the same attention as the needs of Ontario and Michigan?
Chuck Strahl ConservativeMinister of Transport
That was a good question, Mr. Speaker. How much money are we going to spend on the new Windsor bridge? We are going to spend zero taxpayer dollars. It is a P3 project. It will not have a single dollar in it.
Perhaps that is an option for the Champlain Bridge. The reason we are not saying that is because we are going to wait for the report to be tabled with me. When that report is tabled, options will be presented to us, including design ideas, whether it should include a railway, whether it should include rapid transit, whether it should include a bus route. There are lots of options. We are certainly not going to go into this willy-nilly.
While the bridge is safe, Montrealers should use it.
We will be working with the Quebec government to design an option.
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Mr. Speaker, on both sides of the Ottawa River, the Conservative budget delivered yesterday confirmed our worst fears. Our public servants are very astute and had already suspected that the Conservatives might make some cuts. Instead of strengthening our economic recovery, the Conservatives are spreading uncertainty regarding job security for thousands of families in the national capital region.
The Conservatives have a habit of getting rid of public servants who are doing their jobs, but do they not think that they are going a little too far?
Stockwell Day ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway
Mr. Speaker, as we said yesterday, about 11,000 people leave the public service every year. My colleague mentioned that jobs are sometimes eliminated from the public service, but it was the Liberals who did that. They eliminated many public service jobs 10 years ago. It was very strange.
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Mr. Speaker, we have seen the Conservatives are very keen on firing public servants who do not follow their ideology. This is getting a bit much.
On both sides of the Ottawa River, tens of thousands of families did not sleep well last night after the Conservative budget confirmed that over 20,000 jobs would be slashed from our hard-working, dedicated public service.
Why are Conservatives revving up the chainsaw and threatening our cherished public services?
Stockwell Day ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway
Mr. Speaker, that is really taking things to an extreme.
It is bad enough that they ignore the fact that our budget that we just tabled gives the highest levels ever for health care, for seniors, for research, for education, along with lowering taxes. However, now what they are trying to do is to frighten public servants.
There are about 11,000 public servants a year who leave the public service. We have been very clear that in no way, shape or form are we going to replicate what the Liberals did in the mid-nineties, slashing tens of thousands of public servants overnight and throwing them out on the streets.
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, it is not natural for us to work with Conservatives, but because every Canadian deserves fair access to health care, we tried to work with them to get results for the five million Canadians who do not have access to a family doctor.
The Conservative budget had no money for doctors. They decided that political games were more important than the needs of Canadians.
Can the minister tell us why she abandoned the more than five million Canadians without access to a family doctor?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the member claims to care about the health of Canadians but will be voting against the budget.
A vote against the budget means there will be no funding for neurological and health research. A vote against the budget means there will not be additional funding for doctors and nurses in rural and remote communities. It will also be a vote against increased health transfers to provinces and territories.
That is a vote against Canadians.
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, in yesterday's budget the government had an opportunity to address the needs of Aboriginal families, but it chose not to.
There is nothing for education, nothing to support friendship centres, nothing to provide clean water, and nothing to increase safe, healthy housing across Canada, especially in the north.
The government's answers to these grim conditions are projects that only reduce the government's own liability, like replacing fuel tanks. Why did the minister choose to ignore the calls to make strategic investments for first nations, Métis and Inuit?
John Duncan ConservativeMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, this government is delivering strategic investments that will help improve the lives of aboriginal Canadians. Since coming to office, we have more than delivered on education, water, housing, economic development and human rights.
The Liberals ignored aboriginal peoples and northerners for a long period, while the NDP have shamefully voted against all of our important investments. We are the party that delivers for first nations, Métis, Inuit and the north.
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
Mr. Speaker, Filipino Canadians work hard to build this country. A recent example of nanny abuse was shocking. We know that nannies had substandard working conditions, had their immigration status threatened and passports confiscated so they could not flee.
Today the Toronto Star reveals that one of the nannies was coerced into a gag order, preventing her from talking to media or law enforcement. Alarmingly, this all happened in the house of a member who sits across the floor in the Liberal caucus.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration tell this House what the government's position is on immigration abuse?
Rick Dykstra ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Immigrant women enjoy the same rights and protections under provincial labour laws as Canadian workers. If they are being abused they should report that abuse to the relevant provincial agency.
Our government is ensuring immigrant women know their rights. Whether it is abuse or exploitation, immigrant women have the right to speak out.
The real question is, would the Liberal leader not take a stand on this issue and state that treatment like this is wrong and is unacceptable?
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, last week I had the opportunity to visit the Diamond Aircraft facilities in London. The company is still waiting for a decision on a $35 million loan from the government. The Ontario government came through with its $35 million a year ago.
Meanwhile, hinging on the minister 's decision are 500 future jobs and the possible layoff of 200 existing employees.
Why has the minister loafed around for a year, leaving hundreds of Canadian families facing possible layoffs?
Tony Clement ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the fact is this government has already given this particular company $20 million through our aerospace program. It has asked for an additional $35 million, on top of the $20 million.
It is our responsibility, as keepers of the taxpayer interest, to ensure that we do our diligence on the books of a company like this, and that work is ongoing.
Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, concerned about the fact that the Conservative government is trying to exclude the Davie shipyard from a major request for proposals, the National Assembly of Quebec unanimously adopted a motion calling on the federal government to be fair. The Conservatives and the hon. member for Lévis—Bellechasse have to stop sabotaging Davie's recovery.
Why did the government change the request for proposals midstream, thereby giving the Davie shipyard less time to restructure?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, the solvency requirement was not changed at any time during the process.
The obligation for a company to be solvent is par for the course for any government contracting.
Let me say, when this company was in a very difficult financial situation last year it was this government that supported a $270 million loan through EDC to help this company along.
The truth is, Davie is pre-qualified to bid in this competition. We hope that it will be able to put forward a bid if it is solvent.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Order. That will conclude our question period for this afternoon.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Teodor Baconschi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania.
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, during question period the government House leader said that the Canadian Labour Congress had endorsed the government's budget. I would like to bring to the attention--
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, I think the Conservative members would agree that was not an applause line for them once they hear the rest of my point of order.
In fact, earlier today the president of the Canadian Labour Congress, Kenneth Georgetti, wrote a letter to the Minister of Finance in which he said:
Dear Minister: I am deeply troubled to hear you are misleading the public that the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) gives unqualified endorsement of your government’s budget, released yesterday.
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
He goes further. He says:
We have certainly opposed your government's planned corporate tax cuts...To suggest, as you have been stating in the media that the CLC fully endorses your budget is misleading and we respectfully request you cease making these statements.
I would like to table this letter for the House and for the government.
I am certain that the Minister of Finance or the government House leader will want to correct this mistake that they have been repeating in the House and in the media.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Does the hon. member for Kings—Hants have the unanimous consent of the House to table this document?