House of Commons Hansard #16 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was smugglers.
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Mr. Speaker, whether it is the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto or Montreal's Champlain Bridge, Canada's major infrastructure is crumbling, leaving too many Canadians with a white-knuckle drive to work.
At the same time, the IMF said today it predicts Canada's unemployment rate is going to rise above 7.5%.
Infrastructure means jobs. Is it not time for the government to move Canada forward and invest in job creation and public safety?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, no government in history has invested more in Canada's infrastructure than our present government. In budget 2011 we continued to build on our unprecedented commitment by making the annual $2 billion gas tax fund permanent. It is very important for municipalities, and I think the opposition voted against it.
Olivia Chow NDP Trinity—Spadina, ON
Mr. Speaker, Torontonians are about to lose a thousand jobs in the public transit system. That means longer waits for buses and trains, and fare increases. Meanwhile, in Calgary trains are literally breaking down. Commuters across Canada are stuck in traffic jams. The mayor of Calgary, who happens to be in town this week, has long called for a federal transit strategy.
Could the minister explain why Canada is the only OECD or G7 country without a national transit plan or strategy?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, we have to respect our partners. Municipalities and provinces are responsible for transit issues and we respect that. We do not have to tell Toronto's city councillors how to manage the transit in their own city. We have to respect them. We are there to support them with the money of the population of Canada in Toronto. That is what we will continue to do.
Jamie Nicholls NDP Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities told the House, and I quote, “...we have invested...in Montreal bridges, mainly in the Champlain Bridge, to ensure the smooth flow of traffic...” Clearly, the minister should revise his strategy. For 40 years now, we have been hearing that the bus lane is just a temporary solution.
When will we see a sustainable solution for motorists, public transportation users and truck drivers?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, if public transportation is a priority for the official opposition, I would like my colleague to explain why the NDP voted against the Toronto Rocket project, against the Métrobus 803 project in Quebec City, against the Evergreen Line project in Vancouver and against a number of other projects. We will continue to do the work, to do what is necessary for public transportation and to ensure that all federal infrastructures are kept in good working order, while respecting provincial jurisdictions.
Jamie Nicholls NDP Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister does not seem to understand the scope of the problem: a highway is collapsing, a bridge is urgently shut down. It is clear that this government simply does not have an infrastructure modernization plan that is focused on job creation. Patching up a bridge that is at the end of its useful life is not a sustainable strategy nor is it a safe one.
When will the minister understand that if he wants to ensure the smooth flow of traffic, a new bridge is needed?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, if we were to have a new bridge or other infrastructure, it would take seven to ten years to complete. How does my colleague think that new infrastructure would resolve Montreal's traffic problems today? That is unbelievable. We must ensure that the infrastructure in place now is still able to endure the load of existing traffic for a number of years and that all of the options are considered regarding future infrastructure.
Peter Braid Conservative Kitchener—Waterloo, ON
Mr. Speaker, the situation in Libya this past summer has seen the toppling of the Gadhafi regime and the emergence of a real democratic hope. However, despite these gains we recognize that the situation does remain unstable.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs please update the House on the situation in Libya?
Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, today the Prime Minister attended the high-level meeting on Libya at the United Nations chaired by the Secretary-General. Canada has been at the forefront of the international effort to protect civilians in Libya against the oppressive Gadhafi regime.
Canada stands ready to support the new Libyan government through the UN coordinated efforts committed to helping the people of Libya.
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, the people of B.C. have spoken loud and clear. In a historic referendum they rejected the HST tax grab that the Prime Minister rammed through the House. Now the Conservatives are planning to punish British Columbians.
Forcing them to pay back over a billion dollars is a spiteful reaction to the province's fair and democratic decision. When will the government agree to respect voters and treat B.C. voters fairly?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, as I am sure the member opposite knows, there is an agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia.
HST is a provincial responsibility. I met yesterday with the Minister of Finance of British Columbia. He reported to me, of course, the results of the referendum there. We are now working on the exit strategy since this is a provincial responsibility and the provincial government will not be continuing with the HST.
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, this money has already been invested in health care, education and other family priorities. Forcing the province to pay it back will hurt very important services and create a hole in the province's budget.
The government needs to do the right thing, the fair thing. Will the government drop its plan to punish British Columbians for rejecting its HST?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the HST is a provincial responsibility. There is an agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia. The agreement has provisions with respect to repayment of the sum that was advanced by the Government of Canada. That sum was advanced as part of the agreement to proceed with the HST. The province is not proceeding with that now. It follows that honouring the agreement will require repayment.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about honouring and keeping promises. In the Conservative Party platform unveiled on April 8 and in numerous statements made by the Prime Minister and his Quebec lieutenant, the Minister of Industry, during the election campaign, they promised to compensate Quebec with respect to the GST by September 15. It was a formal promise.
In a joint press release issued on September 14, the finance ministers from Quebec and Canada had to admit that the promise would not be kept. What is the problem?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, we have had a lengthy series of discussions with the Government of Quebec with respect to the HST and those discussions have continued.
The Minister of Finance of Quebec and I agreed a week or so ago that we would continue the discussions toward the end of September. I am hopeful and relatively confidence that we will arrive at an agreement.
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Speaker, who is in charge in the finance minister's shop? During the election campaign, the Prime Minister promised, with his hand on his heart, that Quebec would get the $2.2 billion it has been owed for ages.
The two finance ministers say that there is progress, but we have yet to see anything.
Can the Minister of Finance confirm that the $2.2 billion that the federal government owes Quebec is being held up in his department?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the member opposite is familiar with negotiations.
We are negotiating with the Government of Quebec. We need to agree on the terms with respect to the HST, and then the payment would flow after that. This is entirely normal. It is the procedure we are following. There is goodwill on both sides. We will carry on with the discussions with the goal of reaching an agreement by the end of September.
Ralph Goodale Liberal Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, for the third time, I have a question for the Minister of Transport about his government's rail service review, which is almost a year old. It said that the shippers of grain, oilseeds and special crops, forest products, minerals and the like were getting very bad service from the railways at a very high cost, and it called for new legislation to enforce binding contracts on the railways.
Will that legislation be introduced and enacted in this calendar year? For the third time, yes or no?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, in March of this year, our government announced a comprehensive strategy that responds to the findings of the review.
Our government is following up on its commitment to improve the performance of the rail-based supply chain. We will soon be naming the facilitator and the review process will be officially launched.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, the buy American provisions and the United States country of origin labelling provisions have been found by the WTO to discriminate against Canadian livestock exports.
Without question, this protectionist action has cost the Canadian livestock industry billions of dollars.
Just when will the government stand up for Canadians against U.S. protectionism? Is the minister now prepared to serve notice to the U.S. and demand compensation for Canada's livestock industry?
Gerry Ritz ConservativeMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the member for Malpeque slept through the whole country of origin labelling WTO challenge that we had or not.
That panel has released an interim report that was very favourable to Canada. The Americans are now negotiating with us in good faith on a way forward. We are hopeful that we can settle this very quickly and continue to move on.
I hope the member stays awake for the good result we will have.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, with Canada close to another recession, one would think the government would have better things to do than tamper with the rights of working people, but that is just what it is doing.
Air Canada says that it is close to a deal. The union says that it is close to a deal. Both sides know it is better for business if a collective agreement is reached around the bargaining table.
If the government is so worried about the economy, why will it not leave Canadian workers alone and start focusing on the economy?
Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Labour
Mr. Speaker, exactly what we are doing is focusing on the economy, as the hon. member pointed out. We introduced the notice of our intention for back to work legislation if the two parties are unable to reach a deal, as the member pointed out. I am very optimistic that they are close to a deal and I hope that I will have something more to say later on today.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, employees have the right to negotiate their collective agreement. They have the right to use pressure tactics. It is called a right for a reason. Threatening workers with special legislation takes their rights away. The economy is not just big business profits; it is also workers' salaries and pensions.
Will the minister stop interfering in the Air Canada negotiations and, instead, encourage the parties to negotiate an agreement that will be acceptable to them both?