House of Commons Hansard #99 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was refugees.
Julian Fantino ConservativeAssociate Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I will not comment or speculate on the report.
Canada has been a partner in the F-35 program for the past 15 years. Our plan is to continue in the program. We have not signed a contract for purchase. We retain flexibility and we remain within our budget.
Ultimately we will ensure that the air force has the aircraft needed to do the job we ask of it.
Matthew Kellway NDP Beaches—East York, ON
Mr. Speaker, Tom Cruise may be flying an F-35 in Top Gun II, but this is not Hollywood and the brave men and women of our Canadian Forces need real planes for mission success.
Last week the U.S. government accountability office testified that the F-35's mission systems are “immature and unproven” and just 4% complete.
After 15 years the F-35 remains more fiction than reality. Now we hear that the Auditor General has lost his loving feeling for the program.
Is the government prepared to accept the AG's critical report, or will it ignore his concerns too?
Julian Fantino ConservativeAssociate Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, if I may say once again, we respect the important work of the Auditor General. Of course, we will deal with that in due course when the report is finally tabled. Until then, it would be inappropriate for me, as I believe it is for the member opposite, to comment further on these issues that he does not know anything about.
Malcolm Allen NDP Welland, ON
Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives launched their anti-Wheat Board agenda, we warned it would hurt Canadian farmers. Now Viterra's sell-off will leave the majority of Canadian grain handling in foreign control. These are world-leading assets built by Canadian farmers.
This is a shortsighted sellout that will strip us of a leading Canadian company and leave farmers vulnerable to foreign interests. Why will the Conservatives not realize their misguided priorities are hurting Canadian farmers?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, the member should come west and see how excited western Canadian farmers are about the fact that they now have the freedom to market their own grain based on what is best for their own businesses, whether that is on the open market or through a new and viable Canadian wheat board.
Canada's agriculture sector continues to present great opportunities for western Canada, namely more buyers for Canadian products.
The Investment Canada Act will provide for the review of significant foreign investments in Canada, if the transaction is subject to review. The test is that it must be of net benefit to Canada.
We look forward to continuing to give western Canadian farmers more choice as they do their business.
Malcolm Allen NDP Welland, ON
Mr. Speaker, let me give the parliamentary secretary a hand. Two-thirds foreign-owned control is not in Canadian interests.
Not only will we lose control over the grain trade, but we will create a near monopoly in farm supply. I wonder how Canadian farmers in the west, which I have visited numerous times this year, really feel about that one.
This deal poses a huge risk for Canadian farmers and needs to be reviewed. We are calling on the Competition Bureau to review this deal. The deal also needs scrutiny under the Investment Canada Act.
Will the Conservatives stand behind us and support our calls for a transparent review of this diabolical deal?
David Anderson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, the ones we are going to stand behind are western Canadian farmers. We are going to continue to stand there. The NDP can oppose development and change in western Canada, but we are going to move ahead and give western Canadian farmers a choice in the opportunities that they need to succeed in an exciting and new agricultural environment around the world.
Western Canadian farmers now have the freedom to market their own grain. They will be going into the fields in the next few months. They are excited about the great opportunities that we are providing for them. We will continue to represent their interests across the country.
Lee Richardson Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, last week we learned of some concerning reports coming out of Bamako, Mali where certain elements of the Malian military appear to have staged a coup d'etat. The militants have attacked the presidential palace and have detained several ministers. This is a direct attack against the democratic institution and will of the Malian people.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs kindly give us an update on the government's reaction?
Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, our government finds the situation in Mali to be very troubling. Upon learning of the coup last week the minister immediately called upon those responsible to withdraw so that constitutional order, peace and stability may be restored. When they did not, Canada suspended direct aid to the Malian government.
In a statement today, the UN Security Council condemned the forcible takeover. Canada will not in any way back this illegal rule. Democracy must be respected. Differences must be resolved by dialogue and democratic process.
Fin Donnelly NDP New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, we have been asking the minister to confirm or deny that he is planning to gut the Fisheries Act, but he will not give a straight answer.
Last week, two former Progressive Conservative fisheries ministers called the proposed changes foolish. One called the government “ideological right-wingers with very, very limited understanding, intelligence or wisdom”.
Even Conservatives know that eliminating fish habitat protection will set us back decades. Therefore, I ask again, is the government going to eliminate habitat protection, yes or no?
Keith Ashfield ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway
Mr. Speaker, while no decision has been made, the government is reviewing fish and fish habitat protection policies to ensure we are respecting conservation objectives.
Recent speculation about the current review is inaccurate. However, the government has been clear that the existing policies can be arbitrary and do not reflect the priorities of Canadians.
Philip Toone NDP Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC
Mr. Speaker, clearly, not all Canadians agree.
Last week, 625 prominent scientists wrote to the Prime Minister, asking him not to weaken environmental protection measures. They say that weakening the Fisheries Act will affect water quality and the fishery and will damage Canada's international credibility.
This government may be able to censor its own scientists, but it cannot ignore expert advice. Will the minister confirm that he will not gut the Fisheries Act?
Keith Ashfield ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway
Mr. Speaker, again, we have made no decisions but we are reviewing the policies. We want to focus our activities on protecting natural waterways that are home to the fish Canadians value most, not on flooded fields and ditches.
Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, by this point Canadians are catching on to a pattern with the Conservatives. When the Conservatives get caught doing something wrong, they blame someone else.
The latest attempt in this sorry saga is the Minister of the Environment's attempt to cover up his muzzling of scientists by blaming the media. The problem, he says, is a few grumpy journalists. It is another Conservative attack on democracy, this time by denigrating the fourth estate.
Will the minister retract this absurd accusation and admit that his heavy-handed communications protocols are keeping good science out of the hands of Canadians?
Peter Kent ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, as I have said any number of times in this House, Canadians can be proud of their scientists, particularly of the scientists working at Environment Canada and the contributions they make to science journals and the general media.
Our department continues to make its experts available to the media on a regular basis, many hundreds of times, in fact, in the past year.
Hélène LeBlanc NDP LaSalle—Émard, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, the Canadian Science Writers' Association, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and even the journal Nature and the BBC all denounce the fact that the Conservatives are muzzling researchers by limiting their access to the media.
When will this government come up with a clear policy that protects the rights of scientists to inform Canadians?
Gary Goodyear ConservativeMinister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)
Mr. Speaker, no government in the history of Canada has invested so much in our scientists and researchers. In fact, our scientists and researchers have more work to do and more research to publish as a result of our historic levels of funding, which were voted against by the opposition.
We are very happy to see Canadian scientists at symposia and conferences all around the world sharing their work, publishing articles and giving thousands of interviews. The NDP members are way off base.
Scott Andrews Liberal Avalon, NL
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has to come clean and explain exactly how this works.
A Tory MP is charged with DUI: he gets kicked out of caucus. There are rumours surrounding a female cabinet minister: she gets the boot. Another cabinet minister leaves briefs at his girlfriend's: he is shown the door. Now a Conservative cabinet minister is convicted by the conflict of interest commissioner for blatantly breaking the rules and he gets to stay.
The question is this: why are there no consequences for violating their own accountability act?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)
Mr. Speaker, once again I accept the conclusions of the commissioner. She recognized there was never an attempt to influence the decisions of public servants. The company in question never secured a contract. There was never any prospect or question of any advantage on my part.
In the future I will take further precautions when approached by Canadians seeking more information about the projects and programs delivered by their government.
Lise St-Denis Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Speaker, this government keeps ending up in reprehensible situations in matters of ethics.
First there was the in and out scandal. Then there was the matter of electoral fraud, which keeps snowballing. Now it is the minister's turn to violate the Conflict of Interest Act.
Why are the Conservatives not doing anything about this? What will they do the next time this comes up?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)
Mr. Speaker, again, I accept and take note of the findings in the commissioner's report. I want to remind hon. members that the commissioner recognized that there was never an attempt to influence public servants. The company in question never secured a contract and there was never any prospect or question of an advantage on my part.
However, in the future, I will take further precautions when approached by Canadians seeking more information about the services and programs delivered by their government.
Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL
Mr. Speaker, CBC's The Fifth Estate has uncovered disturbing facts about the Canadian Forces' response to the search for Burton Winters in Makkovik in January. His family described the military's explanation as, “One excuse wasn't enough for them, they had to give five”. It was not the weather, it was not the protocol. They closed the file and later said they had no equipment available to do the search. One former SAR coordinator called the CF report “abysmal, misleading and wrong”.
What is the state of our search and rescue system in Canada? Will the government establish an independent inquiry to find out the full truth about what happened and what needs to be done to protect Canadians like this boy in Makkovik?
Peter MacKay ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, once again our hearts and prayers go out to the family of young Burton Winters. It was certainly a tragedy. This young man was a member of the Canadian Forces junior rangers program. Members of his troop assisted in his search.
As the member would know, the reality is that the first call to the Canadian Forces came some 20 hours after young Mr. Winters was last seen. The second call was placed 51 hours later and Canadian Forces assets were deployed.
We have improved the protocol with respect to the communications between the province and the federal government and that protocol has ground search and rescue responsibility with the province.
Glenn Thibeault NDP Sudbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, the task force for payments system review has called for legislation that could save $32 billion in productivity gains by modernizing our payments system. According to the task force, Canadian payments regulation is being quickly outpaced by countries like Romania and Peru. Modernizing our payments system would help the economy but we are stagnant due to the government's focus on the interests of big money and big banks, not on new entrants and new ideas.
Will this minister take the decisive steps necessary to overhaul our payments system to further our national interests and for the well-being of Canadian consumers and small businesses?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the hon. member and that is why we appointed the task force to do the work. It has just recently finished its work and submitted the report. We look forward to giving it the thorough review it deserves after the intense work done by the panel, and taking steps pursuant to the recommendations that are in the report.