House of Commons Hansard #102 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agreements.
Canadian Broadcasting CorporationOral Questions
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.
Conservative
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, first of all, regarding the substance of the question, the member will have to wait until 4 p.m. for the budget.
As this is the member's first question in the House of Commons, on behalf of all members of the House, I welcome him to the House as the new member for Toronto—Danforth.
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his welcome.
Throughout the life of the CBC and the government, actions do speak louder than words and the government is trying to cripple the CBC with budget cuts, as we will see. Many artists, actors, composers and independent producers depend on the CBC to develop unique content which the CBC then showcases. Many regions of the country depend on the CBC for local content.
Will the Conservatives finally support Canadian culture rather than undermine it and support the CBC?
Canadian Broadcasting CorporationOral Questions
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.
Conservative
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, with regard to the budget item, he will have to wait until 4 o'clock to see the budget.
With regard to his broader question about supporting Canadian culture, this government is the only government in the G20 that made a decision as part of our economic action plan not to cut, not to maintain, but to increase funding for arts and culture. We have created two new national museums. We have created the Canada media fund. We have increased our support to the Canada Council for the Arts by 20% to their record level.
Our government has delivered for arts and culture in a way that no other government in the world can say that it has.
James Rajotte Conservative Edmonton—Leduc, AB
Mr. Speaker, our government has a proven track record when it comes to creating jobs and economic growth.
In fact, since 2006, this government has helped hard-working families and businesses create more jobs for Canadians by reducing their taxes. Unfortunately, there are those on the other side of the House who continue to advocate for higher taxes, taxes that would kill jobs and kill economic growth.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, the very hard-working member for Saint Boniface, tell this House how our low-tax plan will continue to create jobs and economic growth, and long-term prosperity for all Canadians?
Shelly Glover ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, as members know, we are very much focused on jobs and economic growth. However we are not focused on tax hikes like the NDP. Since July 2009, our economy has created 610,000 new jobs, and 90% of those are full-time jobs.
That is the best jobs record in the entire G7. While we are pleased that Canadians are working, we know that more needs to be done. We know that the global economy remains fragile and more Canadians are looking for work. That is why economic action plan 2012 is going to focus, once again, on job creation and economic growth.
Mark Eyking Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Mr. Speaker, aid groups and poor countries are being let down by the Conservative government.
Last year it canned KAIROS. This year, 53 aid organizations in Quebec are getting only 11% of their funding. Now we have just found out that the Development and Peace program of the Catholic church, which helps 20 countries, is getting cut and losing $35 million.
Now that the Conservatives have targeted the Catholics, who are they going to get next?
Bev Oda ConservativeMinister of International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to making sure its international assistance is making a difference for those in developing countries.
That is why we are focused on targeting the countries we work in. This is not about organizations. This is about getting more kids in school, more mothers to health clinics, more nutrition, more healthy infants at birth, more text books and more qualified teachers. This is getting results and making a difference.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, before I start my question, I just want to say what a delight and honour it is to have the member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia back in the House of Commons.
My question is for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. I would remind him that the breaches of privacy only happened when the Conservatives took power. Tom Hoppe, Sylvain Chartrand, Louise Richard, Sean Bruyea, Dennis Manuge and many other people like Harold Leduc have had their privacy breached by the Conservative government and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
No one at the department has been fired for breaking the law. No one that we know of has been disciplined. Can the minister now tell us who has been fired from the department, and who is ultimately responsible for disgracing the reputation of the heroes of our country?
Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, if the member had listened, he would have gotten the answer. More than two years ago, my great predecessors, minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn and then minister Greg Thompson, took action. Privacy framework, procedures and guidelines, setting up a team of investigators.
Come on, red kindergarten, listen. In-depth training, awareness program, assessment, access and control. We are taking privacy breaches seriously. We are taking action and we will keep on.
Ed Holder Conservative London West, ON
Mr. Speaker, members of this House know that one in five Canadian jobs is generated by trade. They also know that our government is committed to opening new markets and opportunities for Canadian businesses. We are pursuing an ambitious free trade plan with the aim of deepening our trade and investment ties with high-growth markets around the world, like Panama.
Would the Minister of International Trade please share with the House how our free trade agreement with Panama will create jobs and prosperity for workers and their families in London and across this country?
Ed Fast ConservativeMinister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for London West for his good work on the trade committee.
Canada is committed to playing a bigger role in the Americas, fostering closer economic ties to promote trade, investment and prosperity. Panama is a gateway to Latin America. This free trade agreement is a key part of our job-creating, pro-trade plan. I encourage all members to pass this legislation quickly so businesses, workers and their families can take advantage of the opportunities we are pursuing in the Americas.
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are not doing anything to end the drug shortage. They ignored all warnings. Between 2006 and 2010, the number of shortages increased. It quadrupled. That is really serious.
Since then, the Conservatives have not done anything to find solutions. Patients are concerned about their health, and they are suffering. Experts, pharmacists, anesthetists, physicians, the Competition Bureau and the provinces are unanimous: they are asking the federal government to help.
Will the Minister of Health finally do her job, or does she think, as her colleague from Simcoe—Grey said in committee this morning, that the federal government has no responsibility regarding this issue?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the NDP is choosing to play politics on this important subject.
A couple of days ago, the NDP issued a press release that was blatantly wrong. It said that our government had not taken into account feedback from the Canadian Pharmacists Association about drug shortages. The reality is that since last spring the Canadian Pharmacists Association has been part of the Health Canada working group dealing with this issue.
The NDP can play politics all it wants but we are taking real action.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, in 2009 the Prime Minister ignored the advice of experts that we needed “national security” defined in the Investment Canada Act and a series of tests to be placed there.
Today's press includes the news that PetroChina wants to build the pipeline to bring bitumen crude to tankers. Even the Canadian Council of Chief Executives has the report now by Professor Moran from Georgetown University, saying Canada needs clear tests of national security in the Investment Canada Act. When will we get them?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, we do not have any such information. However, we can generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic activity and at the same time protect the environment. We can do that by modernizing the regulatory system to the requirements of the 21st century so that jobs are created in the next two or three years and not the next fifteen or twenty years.
Conservative
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I have the honour to inform the House that a communication has been received as follows:
Rideau Hall
Ottawa
March 29, 2012
Mr. Speaker:
I have the honour to inform you that the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, signified royal assent by written declaration to the bills listed in the Schedule to this letter on the 29th day of March, 2012, at 2:06 p.m.
Yours sincerely,
Stephen Wallace,
Secretary to the Governor General
The bills assented to are: Bill C-34, An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the financial year ending March 31, 2012; Bill C-35, An Act for granting to Her Majesty certain sums of money for the federal public administration for the financial year ending March 31, 2013; and Bill S-5, An Act to amend the law governing financial institutions and to provide for related and consequential matters.
Garry Breitkreuz Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Mr. Speaker, the member for Random—Burin—St. George's alleged that I made a statement something like this: “All young people should be carrying guns”.
This is completely unfounded. It is to the point of absurdity. It is totally without foundation. I would invite the member to apologize and withdraw her statement right now.
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
Mr. Speaker, I regret that I have to rise on my first day as a sitting member of this House on a point of order arising from statements by members.
I have been here for an hour and I already appear to know more about the rules of order of the House than the member from Mississauga--
Craig Scott NDP Toronto—Danforth, ON
In the time provided for statements under Standing Order 31, the member levelled a personal attack against me.
Mr. Speaker, you would know that your predecessor, Speaker Milliken, in his rulings of June 14, 2010, and December 14, 2010, with respect to statements, expressed his concern with the “unsettling trend towards using members' statements as a vehicle to criticize other members”.
According to the book that Ms. O'Brien gave me this morning at my swearing in, statements are meant to cover “virtually any matter of international, national, provincial or local concern”. The intent of the passage, I submit, is not for one member to raise concerns over another member's character or integrity. The book also states that personal attacks, insults and obscenities are not in order.
I believe that all members of this Parliament would benefit from a heightened level of order and decorum, particularly in relation to statements by members. As has been accurately pointed out by O'Brien and Bosc in this book, the proceedings of the House are based on a long-standing tradition of respect for the integrity of its members.
However, mostly I am disappointed. I have been so inspired by the words, the message and the example of my predecessor, the hon. Jack Layton--
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order, please. I think the member is making a point about the content of the statement of the member. I think I have the gist of what he is bringing to the chair's attention.
The hon. member for Mississauga—Brampton South is rising to address this point.
Statements by MembersPoints of OrderRoyal Assent
Mississauga—Brampton South Ontario
Conservative
Eve Adams ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, through you, first allow me to welcome the member on his very first day on the job. Happy first day.
Certainly there was no smear intended in my S. O. 31. If the hon. member somehow is trying to run from his comments or no longer feels as though he can abide by those comments, perhaps he should stand and apologize.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using an S. O. 31 to highlight his party's hug-a-thug attitude towards criminals and our--
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order, please. The hon. member for Random—Burin—St. George's is also rising.