House of Commons Hansard #106 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.

Topics

EthicsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, talk about investigation, we have the lobbying commissioner, the ethics commissioner, the RCMP and the OPP. When we think about the Conservative Party and Bruce Carson, this man is like a one-man stimulus package for the police and at the centre of it is his office and the fact that Bruce Carson and his girlfriend were going to head up a whole bunch of impoverished first nation communities.

Why is he trying to hide from Mr. Bruce Carson? What does he know and what is his involvement with the Bruce Carson gang?

EthicsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Vancouver Island North B.C.

Conservative

John Duncan ConservativeMinister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, we know the member for Timmins—James Bay likes to throw dirt around this place. All I can say is this is under investigation and therefore it is inappropriate to comment and the member knows that. I do not know why he is pursuing this line of questioning in the House.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

April 4th, 2012 / 2:55 p.m.

NDP

Hélène LeBlanc NDP LaSalle—Émard, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives never miss an opportunity to reward their friends. The Minister of Industry has made yet another patronage appointment, this time to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The appointee's qualifications amount to contributing to the Conservative Party's coffers. We were already very familiar with the elastic ethics of the Minister of Industry. He is fully prepared to sell jobs in his department to the highest bidder.

How many ethical blunders will it take for the Minister of Industry to realize that Canadians no longer trust him?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Mégantic—L'Érable Québec

Conservative

Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, NSERC is an important granting council. People must be appointed based on merit, and that is what we always do.

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Hélène LeBlanc NDP LaSalle—Émard, QC

Mr. Speaker, these are not the kinds of appointments that will help the minister of conflict of interest regain his credibility. The individual appointed to the council has contributed thousands of dollars to the election campaigns of the President of the Treasury Board. We would not be surprised to learn that the Minister of Industry went on another hunting trip, this time near the gazebo in Huntsville to discuss the appointment.

Will the minister continue to become embroiled in never-ending scandals or will he do the right thing and resign from cabinet?

Government AppointmentsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Mégantic—L'Érable Québec

Conservative

Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, all appointments are made based on merit. In this case, I repeat, NSERC is an important granting council. I can assure this House that all appointments, including this one, are made based on merit. I therefore encourage the hon. member to look at the qualifications of the individual in question.

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Simms Liberal Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL

Mr. Speaker, after bragging about maintaining or even increasing the level of funding for the CBC, it seems the axe is now out. Even the backbench Conservatives are drooling all over the place just at the concept. The wolves are at the door.

The Conservative cuts will kill plans for new programming, force the CBC off the air in rural and remote communities and 650 jobs will gone. Did he realize that these cuts would be so deep? Why did he not do anything about it?

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the member opposite has it exactly wrong. I would encourage my hon. colleague to look at the speech that was given by Hubert Lacroix, president of the CBC, which outlines it in greater detail.

Our budget provides the funds necessary for the CBC to fulfill its obligations under the Broadcasting Act and to go further to implement its 2015 plan for the next few years of the CBC, which includes staying in the regions, protecting its official language footprint, more digitization and also to have a leaner public broadcaster that serves the interest of not only of the cultural communities but also of taxpayers.

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

Mr. Speaker, we listened to Hubert Lacroix's speech and, contrary to what the minister says, this is a sad day, not only for Canada's Francophonie, but also for culture and for the regions. Financial pressure is forcing the CBC to cut over $200 million. Not only will this affect analog airwaves, but the CBC is also saying it will have to scale back its plans to expand local service, digital specialty channels, signature events and cross-cultural programming.

What does the minister have against the CBC? Why will he not stand up for the interests of Canadians and the Francophonie?

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.

Conservative

James Moore ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, in our budget, the CBC has sufficient funds to fulfill its mandate under the Broadcasting Act. It also has the funds needed for its 2015 plan.

If my hon. colleague opposite believes the government should adopt a Liberal approach to the CBC, here is what was said about the Liberal approach to the CBC by the Toronto Star. It said, “CBC has been treated shabbily by the Liberal government, downsized, underfunded, abandoned”. The Liberals cut the CBC by $414 million. If they want this government to adopt the Liberal position—

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The hon. member for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques.

Gasoline PricesOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, this morning, Quebec families woke up to a huge price jump at the pump. Prices in Montreal are higher than those in any other Canadian city. This morning, the price was $1.47 per litre. Families are being—

Gasoline PricesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Gasoline PricesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

Gasoline PricesOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, families are being swindled on what just happens to be the eve of the Easter holiday, and the Conservatives are refusing to do anything about it.

When will they listen to the New Democrats and appoint a gasoline prices ombudsman who will have the power to act on behalf of consumers? When will they give Quebec families a little breathing room?

Gasoline PricesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Mégantic—L'Érable Québec

Conservative

Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, what is really interesting is that the member is a carbon tax advocate. Imagine the devastating effect of such a tax.

On this side of the House, we have a responsible government that reduced the GST by two percentage points and tabled a budget in that same vein, a budget that keeps taxes low. We also implemented the Fairness at the Pumps Act. These measures are having a tangible impact and are the complete opposite of a carbon tax, which would have a devastating impact on jobs in Canada.

Gasoline PricesOral Questions

3 p.m.

NDP

Glenn Thibeault NDP Sudbury, ON

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have no problem dishing out lavish tax subsidies to their friends in big oil, but when it comes to protecting families from gas pump ripoffs, they are asleep at the wheel.

Canadians again woke up this morning to soaring gas prices, and Canadians struggling to get by are sick of being gouged by oil companies every time there is a long weekend upon us. For years, New Democrats have called for an independent gas price ombudsman to finally put an end to these ripoffs.

When will the Conservatives stop putting big oil ahead of Canadians?

Gasoline PricesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Mégantic—L'Érable Québec

Conservative

Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)

Mr. Speaker, if the member were serious about this matter, he would stop advocating for a carbon tax, which would be devastating for the economy of Canada. Moreover, instead of pushing for higher taxes on Canadians, like the NDP would do, we reduced the GST by two points and we put measures of fairness at the pumps. These things work. Not later than last month, three companies were guilty of fixing prices.

This is real action and totally the opposite of advocating a carbon tax that would be devastating for the economy.

The BudgetOral Questions

3 p.m.

Conservative

Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government understands that Canada's long-term prosperity means expanding beyond our borders. It means promoting Canada on the world stage to succeed with more trade and encouraging more investment. Unfortunately, the NDP does not understand this concept. The only time the NDP reaches beyond our borders is to collude with radical left-wing groups that want to halt our economic growth and cost hard-working Canadians their jobs.

Can the parliamentary secretary please tell the House how economic action plan 2012 is helping create jobs and contribute to Canada's long-term prosperity?

The BudgetOral Questions

3 p.m.

Saint Boniface Manitoba

Conservative

Shelly Glover ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Chatham-Kent—Essex for his hard work in the finance committee and on the budget.

Since 2006, our Conservative government has worked hard to make Canada the best place in the world to do business, to create jobs and, of course, to open new markets. Of course, the budget is going to continue that, and the world is taking notice. Listen to what an editorial in The Wall Street Journal said just today:

Not too many years ago, Americans could get away with cracking jokes about spendthrift Canada.... These days, the joke is on Americans.... The governing Conservative Party took another step forward last week with a pledge to balance the budget by 2015 without raising taxes.... As America's recent performance proves, the wealth of a nation isn't guaranteed. Canada shows how mistakes can be reversed with sound policies.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Mr. Speaker, the environment minister could not name a single organization that could replace the national round table. Here are a few: the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Science and the National Science Advisor, eliminated by Conservatives; Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans, cut to the bone; environmental advocates, targeted.

With legislation gutted and critics silenced, what is to stand in the way of environmental disaster?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Thornhill Ontario

Conservative

Peter Kent ConservativeMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, as I said the other day, I was surprised my colleague had to ask. There is a plethora, in fact, of groups and organizations across academia and across business, even many NGOs, domestic as well as international, that do have today the scientific and research capacity that did not exist broadly when the national round table was created.

Our government has thanked the round table for its decades of work, and we are committed to an orderly, considerate wind-down of the organization.

Rights & DemocracyOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

NDP

Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Conservatives announced that they were going to shut down Rights & Democracy, citing the organizations's many problems as the reason.

The problem is that the Conservatives inherited an organization that is respected around the world and when they started appointing their little friends to the organization and gave it a partisan direction, the ship started sinking.

Canada is losing its position and reputation when it comes to promoting democracy. This is another black eye for Canada.

Why do the Conservatives insist on undermining our credibility on the international stage?

Rights & DemocracyOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Ottawa West—Nepean Ontario

Conservative

John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, it will not come as any surprise to members of this place that I do not share the views of the member opposite.

We do believe in promoting freedom. We do believe in promoting democracy and human rights. Promoting Canadian values is one of the two priorities of this government and our foreign policy. Our men and women who work in the foreign service, our ambassadors, high commissioners, consul generals and consuls will continue to do that each and every day right around the world.

PensionsOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON

Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of a secure and dignified retirement for people who have spent their lives building Canada through hard work. That is why in 2006, we have taken action to ensure that retirement income is sustainable and is there when Canadians need it.

Will the Minister of State for Seniors please update the House on the measures we are taking to ensure that Canadians' retirement income is sustainable today and tomorrow?