House of Commons Hansard #188 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was asbestos.
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, I would like to reassure the hon. member and all residents in Montreal that we recognize that the Old Port of Montreal is an important institution to the people of Montreal. It will remain the Old Port of Montreal. The office will remain in Montreal.
This is about bringing good governance and good management to this institution.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is all in the family when it comes to the embattled Labrador minister. He received an illegal loan from his brother; then he received a corporate donation from Pennecon that happened to be in business with his dear brother Max, who happened to score really big on the Muskrat Falls project. Despite the family ties, the minister was the political point man on the project.
Now that the loan guarantees are being finalized, has that member recused himself from the cabinet discussions about the Muskrat Falls project? Will he tell us?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, the member across the way should know, if he does not, that the government has no role in awarding contracts for the Lower Churchill project at all.
The Muskrat Falls project will provide significant economic benefits to the Atlantic region. It will substantially help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Our government continues to support this important project. We are continuing to move forward by providing a loan guarantee.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, vulnerable Canadians are being punished with cuts to core services to pay for Conservative financial incompetence that has seen Canada's national debt rise by over $140 billion to more than $600 billion. The Conservatives have blown $3 billion on ads, consultants, limos and orange juice but have slashed funding for affordable housing, addictions and literacy programs and refuse to cover burial costs for veterans who have served valiantly.
Why should Canadians who need support the most pay the price for the Conservative government's financial incompetence?
Ted Menzies ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)
Mr. Speaker, we have a plan for jobs and growth in this country, which the opposition tends to fight against, a plan that continues. We will be voting next week on that plan to continue that—
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order. There is far too much noise in the Chamber today. The hon. Minister of State for Finance has the floor.
Ted Menzies Conservative Macleod, AB
Mr. Speaker, I presume those members are not cheering me on.
That plan is working. We have seen Canadian businesses increase their workforce by 820,000. The plan is working. Canadians who did not have jobs before now have jobs. I would encourage the opposition to support that plan.
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are suffering cuts to services because of the Conservatives' incompetence. They have driven up our federal debt to over $600 billion since 2006.
The axe has fallen once again on Quebec, with the closing of the only French-language documentation centre in Canada specializing in marine sciences, the Maurice Lamontagne Institute in Mont-Joli.
Why must scientists and the language rights of francophones suffer because of the Conservatives' financial incompetence?
Gail Shea ConservativeMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, the department has made a decision to modernize its library services and to take advantage of increasing availability of information resources in digital form. Even today, most requests are received and delivered electronically.
Work is underway and will be completed by the fall of 2013. Services will be available in both French and English.
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Minister of Finance for increasing the federal debt to $600 billion. Great job.
Now, to reduce the debt, Conservatives are cutting nine district offices that serve veterans. They claim that local Service Canada outlets will pick up the slack, but it is not true. I have a secret internal HRSDC document indicating a planned staff cut of 46% at Service Canada in Prince Edward Island alone by 2015.
Why are veterans and vulnerable Canadians paying the price for Conservative financial incompetence?
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I have a secret to share with the House: Veterans Affairs Canada's headquarters is in the member's riding in Prince Edward Island.
Thanks to the Conservatives' support, six Service Canada offices will be opening. Furthermore, we will invest $18 million to expand services.
We believe that veterans must be served not only by Veterans Affairs Canada, but by the Canadian government as a whole.
Hélène LeBlanc NDP LaSalle—Émard, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, when I asked the Minister of Industry what impact the withdrawal and re-submission of CNOOC's offer for the acquisition of Nexen shares in the United States would have on Canada's decision, the minister clearly had no idea what I was talking about.
The Americans have a serious review process for foreign takeovers, but the Conservatives base their decisions on partisan politics. What criteria will be developed by the Prime Minister's chief of staff?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)
Mr. Speaker, my colleague must know that we have our own process. We are in the process of carefully assessing this transaction. Once again, we see that the NDP is trying to do anything it can to block any form of investment here in Canada. It is looking everywhere for arguments to support blocking all forms of investment here in Canada.
We do not have a radical agenda like that. We have a responsible approach. We review transactions based on merit. If they provide a net benefit for Canada, then we approve them.
Peter Julian NDP Burnaby—New Westminster, BC
Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the Minister of Industry continues to bungle the CNOOC-Nexen deal.
There is no transparency in the process, no clear criteria for net benefit, and he missed the deadline for the national security review. Even company CEOs, like those at Petronas are saying, “At this point, the whole industry has no clue”.
Now the chief of staff is doing the minister's job. Conservatives do not have confidence. Canadians do not have confidence. How can anyone have confidence in this minister when no one can trust him to do his job?
When will the chief of staff deliver these so-called new rules? Does the minister have a clue?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)
Mr. Speaker, simply put, we know the NDP has a radical agenda. It wants to block everything: no investment, no trade, and a carbon tax.
This is not our approach. We are a responsible government. We will have foreign investment, but we have to make sure that it does provide net benefit for Canada. Canadians can be assured that all transactions will be fully scrutinized and each decision made will be in the best interests of Canadians.
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, as a result of repeated pipeline project failures, yesterday, in British Columbia, the Minister of Natural Resources adopted what he himself would describe as a radical approach. He said that natural resource development projects must be blocked as long as they are not subject to independent and objective reviews by experts.
How will the minister meet his objectives when he is eliminating all of our scientist and expert positions?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows that is not true. The National Energy Board has been put in place to be a strong, independent regulator that does ensure pipeline safety, and we put additional resources into ensuring that pipelines are safe.
NEB subjects pipeline development proposals to an extensive scientific review, which contradicts what the member opposite is saying, and ensures that pipelines are safe and that they protect the environment and the public.
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, all the slick ads in the world are not going to hide the fact that the Conservatives are desperate to greenwash their terrible record.
Let us review. Last week the Minister of the Environment said that climate change is a real and present danger. This week, when he was asked to live up to promises to help developing countries with climate change, he said that this is not a pledging conference.
I would love to know what other fictions he would like to concoct to hide his inaction.
Peter Kent ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, let me remind my colleague that our government is the first Canadian government to actually reduce greenhouse gases. The New Democrats have told us how they would pick the pockets of Canadian taxpayers with a $21 billion carbon tax. They have not explained how they would actually reduce greenhouse gases by a single megatonne.
Our government is proud that we have reached the halfway point in meeting our Copenhagen targets. In Doha this year, we are going to work on a new climate regime that would include all major emitters.
Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I was extremely disappointed yesterday to see the New Democrats and Liberals vote against the faster removal of foreign criminals act. This is yet another example of the New Democrats and Liberals putting the rights of criminals ahead of the rights of victims and law-abiding Canadians.
Can the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism please update this House on Bill C-43 and the government's commitment to deport foreign criminals out of Canada more quickly?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Citizenship
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that member's work at the immigration committee in the adoption of the faster removal of foreign criminals act.
Interestingly, I was recently in Alberta meeting with representatives of the Somali community, who pled with our government to more quickly remove convicted serious foreign criminals who were creating victims, violence and gang criminality in their own community. This is what I have heard from immigrant communities from coast to coast: people asking us to say to those foreign nationals, who have abused the privilege of their residency in Canada by committing serious crimes, that they do not belong on our streets and that we will, through this legislation, remove them much more quickly.
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank everyone on both sides of the House who voted for the bill to save lives in developing countries by amending Canada's access to medicines regime.
However, it is unfortunate that more members did not have the courage to stand up to defend that bill. I also condemn the Conservatives' misinformation campaign.
In future, will they stop playing partisan politics and start co-operating with us in order to save lives?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)
Mr. Speaker, we know that that bill would not have improved the lives of the people it purported to help. Let us tackle the real challenges, the real public health problems. We have taken a series of measures that, combined, are worth over $4 billion. That money has been earmarked to pay for medicine for countries in need. This includes the Muskoka initiative under the leadership of our Prime Minister. This has meant a total of $10 billion internationally. Now that is real action.
I hope the NDP will have the courage to support real measures in the future, instead of doing what it has always done: shamefully opposing these measures.
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, no comment.
The fact is, the Conservatives' entire approach to international assistance is all wrong. I am not even sure if the Minister of International Cooperation really understands what his department is responsible for. CIDA's mandate is to coordinate Canada's efforts to help people living in poverty. It is not meant to be an investment outpost for mining companies.
Does the minister understand that the Department of International Trade is responsible for promoting our trade interests, but that CIDA is responsible for fighting poverty?