House of Commons Hansard #4 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was seniors.
Tony Clement ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, as usual, the member for Nickel Belt is in favour of a change that increases bureaucracy and not in favour of measures to lower unemployment.
On our side of the House, we are focused on making sure that FedNor is doing its job. That means ensuring services are out in northern Ontario helping northern Ontarians and Canadians get new jobs and new opportunity. That is the right way for FedNor to go.
Kennedy Stewart NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday's budget confirmed the government has no plan for getting people back to work. It gave billions of tax breaks to its Bay Street buddies, but plans on cutting the western economic diversification fund.
Communities in western Canada need help recovering jobs lost in the recession. Why is the government cutting a program that helps create jobs in western Canada?
Lynne Yelich ConservativeMinister of State (Western Economic Diversification)
Mr. Speaker, I want to make the member aware that my department was given the responsibility of delivering key economic plan initiatives for the west. Through the RInC and CAF programs we invest in rinks, athletic parks, community halls, much needed facilities in communities across the four provinces. These were temporary programs designed to create jobs through the economic downturn, and since July 2009 we have created over 460,000 new jobs.
Our government believes in creating jobs and new opportunities. The member might want to know his party voted against that.
Robert Chisholm NDP Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Mr. Speaker, yesterday's budget shows the Conservatives have forgotten about Atlantic Canadians.
After cutting ACOA by $64 million last year, the Minister of Finance, yesterday, promised a further $15 million in cuts.
With the economic recovery still fragile and the jobless rate unacceptably high in Atlantic Canada, why is the minister choosing to make massive tax breaks for wealthy corporations while cutting regional development programs like ACOA?
Bernard Valcourt ConservativeMinister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency) (La Francophonie)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question and his concern for Atlantic Canadians which we all share on this side of the House.
Canadians have given us a clear mandate to keep taxes low and to balance the budget. ACOA has identified a way to reduce its internal services cost, making it more efficient. What is important for the member to acknowledge and recognize is that all of ACOA's programs to business and to communities are supported--
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Mr. Speaker, sadly budget 2011 is an abdication of the government's responsibilities to aboriginal peoples.
I ask the minister how he thinks that aboriginal youth could prosper without education, a safe home and running water? How can the minister defend that yesterday's budget cuts funding to aboriginal housing by $127 million below budget 2008, before the EAP? Where is the concerted action that was promised on Friday?
John Duncan ConservativeMinister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, our government is building on its impressive record in major investments and unprecedented collaboration with aboriginals to increase the educational outcome for first nations children and to address priority areas such as water and waste water infrastructure. Our current budget builds on those investments and demonstrates our strong commitment.
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Mr. Speaker, I did not hear an answer to the question of the $127 million being cut in this budget compared to the previous budget. Can the minister answer the question? Common courtesy in this House also means getting answers. It is only natural for the opposition to protest if it does not get an answer. Can he give us an answer regarding the $127 million in cuts to aboriginal housing?
John Duncan ConservativeMinister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are very good at talking about process and very bad at getting concrete results.
We have invested major dollars during the stimulus spending program. This budget deals with the first nations land management, water, K-12, matrimonial real property and the investment in the major completion of the Dempster Highway. It had good reviews from the national aboriginal leaders. That is good for Canadians.
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Mr. Speaker, last week, Quebeckers and Canadians were stunned when Justice James Brunton released about 30 accused people because of the delays expected in their megatrial. The police did their job. The prosecutors did their job. It is time for Parliament to do its job.
Would the Minister of Justice not agree that it is time to introduce a bill in Parliament to put an end to the problems caused by these megatrials?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
First, Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member on his appointment as justice critic for the NDP.
This is certainly the time and it was certainly the time in the last Parliament when we introduced the fair and efficient criminal trials act that would strengthen case management, reduce duplication and improve criminal procedure. That was a great piece of legislation. We are prepared to re-introduce it. I hope it has the support of the hon. member and his colleagues.
Joe Comartin NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Mr. Speaker, I can assure him that, in fact, it does have the support of this party and I believe of the Liberal Party as well. It is a welcome development that we move on this. This is a problem that we have known about for several years. In the last Parliament, Bill C-53 was here. We could have passed it at that time if the government had moved on it.
My question to the minister today is this. Will he pledge to the House that we will have the bill before the House and pass it before we leave in the spring?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
That is the easiest pledge I will ever make, Mr. Speaker. We all have an interest in improving the criminal justice system and this, hopefully, portends something new in this Parliament's support for justice legislation. I can assure the hon. member that bill will be tabled forthwith.
Lee Richardson Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, I understand that members of the cabinet are speaking directly to Canadians from coast to coast on important local issues and key items from yesterday's budget, the next phase of Canada's economic action plan.
I would like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance to please update the House on what ministers are saying in my riding of Calgary, and Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Moncton and St. John's.
Shelly Glover ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome my good friend back to the House.
I would like to tell the House that we have had not just good, positive reaction from ministers but overwhelmingly positive reaction from across Canada. In fact, seniors are happy about our increased income support. Parents appreciate the new children's arts tax credit. Entrepreneurs are actually cheering for the hiring credit for small business.
Let me quote the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. It stated:
[Budget 2011] took some important steps to enhance job creation and recognize the economic contributions of small businesses in Canada.
However, the best reaction—
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, I was much relieved to learn yesterday that the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have patched up their differences over the diplomatic foofaraw that got Canada kicked out of the UAE. The defence minister went on to say that the $300 million cost of closing Camp Mirage was “completely false”.
In light of the new decorum in the House, would the minister tell the House what is the specific cost of closing the base, what will be the cost of opening the base in Kuwait, and will he table those costs in the House?
Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate advice from the member opposite in the Liberal Party on how to get along internally within a party. That is something I will keep very much in mind in the future.
However, with respect to the ongoing costs of maintaining a logistic hub in the Middle East, which is very important in supporting our ongoing efforts in Afghanistan and in fact throughout the region, there will be information forthcoming.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about employment. In 2010, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans cut snow crab quotas by more than half. Beforehand, with 20,000 metric tonnes, the plant workers were guaranteed eight weeks of work. Now, because of the reduced quotas, hundreds of people are ending up with less than a month of work and will not be eligible for employment insurance.
Will the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development work with the Government of New Brunswick to establish a community employment program and facilitate access to employment insurance benefits? Let us talk about jobs.
Diane Finley ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Mr. Speaker, we certainly want to help the unemployed. That is why yesterday's budget included the initiatives I have already talked about. I can assure hon. members that we are already sending very significant sums to the Government of New Brunswick to help support the unemployed who face constraints specific to that region. I encourage them to take advantage of this.
Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday our government reintroduced the next phase of Canada's economic action plan. This is a positive plan for Canada's future that will keep taxes low, support jobs and growth, improve the quality of life for seniors, families and children, control government spending, and stay on track to eliminate the deficit.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance please inform the House about what the reaction to our next phase of the economic action plan has been?
Shelly Glover ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to stand again to cheer for this wonderful budget that was presented yesterday by the Minister of Finance. I must admit that there has been such an overwhelming positive response to this budget that I cannot quote every single person who has commented on it. I want to quote in French if the House would allow me.
According to the Conseil du patronat du Québec, “this budget creates an environment favourable to economic development without reducing transfers to individuals, businesses or other levels of government, and without proposing increases in taxes or tariffs...”
Matthew Dubé NDP Chambly—Borduas, QC
Mr. Speaker, historic floods in Montérégie will have lasting effects on our community, but we are finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, with this government, it is too little, too late. After more than 50 days of stress and frustration, flood victims are entitled to clear answers.
Can the minister confirm whether soldiers will stay to help flood victims with the cleanup?
