Debates of March 27th, 2012

Air Canada

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the loss of these jobs is devastating for the workers and their communities. Yesterday, I asked the Standing Committee on Transport to hear the parties involved in this matter. The members will be able to ask them all the questions they want. However, we must remember that this is a business decision involving two private corporations. We are not considering a bailout for Aveos and Air Canada.

Ethics

[Lise St-Denis, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to come back to certain events that took place in 2009, when the Minister of Industry visited the private hunting cabin belonging to Marcel Aubut. The serious thing is that at the time, Mr. Aubut was involved in efforts to secure public funding for a new arena in Quebec City.

A “senior” minister should not have put himself in that kind of compromising situation.

I repeat: why did the minister do that? What was he thinking?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, I will reiterate, it was a hunting trip like the others I have been on in my life. I paid my own way. I took my own car. I got there under my own steam and took my own equipment. Mr. Aubut never lobbied me, either before or after that trip. And after that, we mounted a campaign to tell Canadians that the federal government would not fund professional sports.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, are there just no limits to Conservative corruption?

There is a second breach of ethics by the Minister of Industry and still he sits in cabinet. On the in and out scandal, the Prime Minister stonewalled for years. Now, after paying back $230,000 virtually stolen in rebates, he has not apologized to this House or Canadians. And on election fraud perpetrated by the Conservative Party, there is not even a sign of humility from the Prime Minister or the government.

Why the utter contempt by this Prime Minister for democracy?

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, that was quite a laundry list by the member for Malpeque.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

[Dean Del Mastro, Conservative, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the members on this side and Canadians at home, some 34 million of them, for the member for Scarborough—Rouge River, would really like to know where this indignation from this member was when his party syphoned some $360 million, $43 million of which is still missing. Where is the indignation? Why does this member not stand up right now and say where that missing money is? That is money stolen from Canadians. This party has stood in defence of Canadian taxpayers from coast to coast to coast and we will not stop.

Air Canada

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 2,600 jobs at Aveos are being chopped in Toronto, Winnipeg and Montreal. These workers are desperate. They are here on Parliament Hill demanding help. Since 1988, Conservative minister after Conservative minister has promised to protect these workers and their jobs. Now we see that none of these promises are worth anything at all. Why will the Conservatives not stop breaking their promises and save these good jobs?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the loss of these jobs is devastating to the workers and their communities. I have asked the transport committee to look into this issue and hear from the parties involved. This is ultimately a private sector issue between these two companies. We are not contemplating any bailout for Aveos or Air Canada.

[Isabelle Morin, NDP, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when someone is a minister, they accept the responsibilities that come with the job. It is the minister’s job to enforce the law, and the minister should step up to the plate.

In Montreal alone, 1,785 Aveos employees are jobless, and all the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities has to say to them is that the government is looking into the issue.

We know what “looking into the issue” means to the Conservatives. It actually means that they are going to act as if they are doing something and forget about the situation.

Will the minister step up to the plate? Will he save these jobs and enforce the law?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, this is a very complex subject, given our analysis of this legislation. It is easy to tell me to step up to the plate. I have done that all my life. This morning, that member there was at the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and we were talking about how complex the situation is.

It is a situation that is being analyzed and that will be analyzed by the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. The committee members will be able to ask all the questions they like.

The member referred to the Montreal region. In recent years, our government has invested $666 million. That is stepping up to the plate and creating jobs.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the thousands of Canadians thrown out of work do not want excuses. They need action. Hundreds of people in Mississauga were suddenly left without jobs when Aveos shut its doors. Like all out-of-work Canadians, their families relied on those jobs.

That minister keeps stalling, hoping no one will notice. However, we have noticed and Canadians have noticed. When will the government act? The Conservatives are failing these families. When will the minister act?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, like I have said before, I understand this is devastating for the workers and their families.

The standing committee on transport will hear as soon as it can from Aveos, Air Canada and the union. All MPs present will have to ask them questions. It is a complex issue and we will continue to work on it.

Like I said yesterday and will repeat now, the law is the law. The Air Canada Public Participation Act requires that we maintain that centre. We will have to respect the law.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, none of that is any consolation to the 410 employees in Winnipeg who have lost their jobs at Aveos.

The minister has the right, power and authority to act, without any further study. I have one simple suggestion to make. Why does the minister not save the jobs and then study the issue, instead of studying the issue and maybe saving the jobs?

These jobs were protected by legislation while Mulroney sold out our national airline. It is up to the minister to act. His partner, the Minister of Labour, does not miss a beat trampling all over labour rights. Why does the minister have to study it before he stands up for workers' rights?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, this is ultimately a private sector issue between these two companies, so we are not contemplating a bailout for Aveos and Air Canada. We will continue to support the workers.

Status of Women

[Joyce Bateman, Conservative, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I was shocked and disgusted to learn that there are Canadian bookstores that sell books advising men to beat their wives and keep them at home. This is not at all in keeping with Canadian values.

Can the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism tell the House what he thinks of this book and what steps our Conservative government has taken to make it clear that these practices are unacceptable in Canada?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.

The publication and sale in Canada of books that encourage the abuse of women is appalling. It is unacceptable and despicable. I am certain that all members agree.

For that reason, Citizenship and Immigration's study guide, Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, clearly states that certain barbaric cultural practices, including violence against women, are strongly condemned in Canada. We must be clear: there is no cultural justification for violence against women in Canada, no matter what the circumstances.

Search and Rescue

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador demanded answers from the government about the death of 14-year-old Burton Winters.

DND officials said first that weather was the reason that search and rescue helicopters were not deployed. However, reports obtained by the fifth estate show that the weather was well within military flying guidelines for safe flying on January 30.

The premier has a simple question that the government needs to answer instead of blaming the province. If weather was not an issue, why were the Cormorants not deployed? Were they holding them back in case there was another emergency, as one admiral has reported? Why did they fail Burton Winters?

[Julian Fantino, Conservative, Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the death of that young man is a tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, his friends and of course the community.

The military has updated its procedures in response to this incident and others. We will do our best always. Our men and women are trained to do that. They make that commitment.

[Ryan Cleary, NDP, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Mr. Speaker, this is a newsflash: too much spin makes people sick.

First the military blamed the weather for failing to send a search and rescue helicopter to find Burton Winters, only the weather was not bad enough to keep a chopper on the ground. Then it blamed communication protocol, only no one had ever even heard of a callback protocol. What stopped the search and rescue for the 14-year-old boy was broken equipment and misplaced priorities.

When will the government take responsibility and establish a full and independent inquiry into Canada's search and rescue system?

[Julian Fantino, Conservative, Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the loss of this young person is a tragedy and we all grieve over it. I must add, though, that following this tragic incident, the Canadian Forces reviewed its responses. Protocols were reviewed in relation to its support of ground search and rescue events. This has been done in consultation with our partners.

[Annick Papillon, NDP, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleagues have just demonstrated the importance of an effective search and rescue system, but the Conservatives will not listen.

In Quebec, we have developed expertise in what francophones need when travelling on or living near waterways. The Quebec City marine rescue sub-centre has forged special ties with a number of stakeholders, including staff of the 35 9-1-1 emergency call centres in Quebec.

This relationship with its partners is essential to saving lives. Closing the Quebec City centre will destroy this expertise. When will the minister come to Quebec City to explain the reasons for the decision?

[Keith Ashfield, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, the member's question has been addressed thoroughly many times in the House. The measures under way maintain the present levels of marine safety and even lead to improvements as responders are able to work side by side in the same centres.

All affected sub-centre coordinators were offered relocation work at joint rescue coordination centres. The decision to accept or reject the transfer is, of course, a personal matter.

[Philip Toone, NDP, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the reason why we continue to ask the question is because their plan is not working.

The minister claims that the consolidation of search and rescue centres in Halifax and Trenton will reduce costs and improve services, but nothing could be further from the truth. It would be less expensive to keep the Quebec City centre open. To be understood quickly and in one's own language is essential. It can save lives.

Will the minister acknowledge that he is wrong? Will he reconsider his decision?