Debates of April 4th, 2012

Pensions

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Minister of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Burlington for the question. That is exactly what we are doing.

That is why, since 2006, we have introduced such measures as pension income splitting, billions in annual tax relief for seniors and the largest GIS increase in 25 years.

But we also need to ensure that future generations can count on sustainable retirement benefits when they need them. Changes made to OAS will be phased in between 2023 and 2029, giving Canadians up to 17 years to plan and adjust accordingly. No current recipients will be affected. That is the good message for all Canadians.

National Defence

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, military bases are going to suffer the consequences of the Conservatives' cuts. Troop support staff positions are going to be cut on bases across the country. In all, more than 1,000 jobs will be lost. In my riding, CFB Valcartier will lose 150 jobs. That is huge.

A few months ago, I asked the minister whether he had any intention of making cuts at Valcartier. He accused me of not supporting the troops.

Is cutting jobs his strategy for supporting the troops?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, that is not true. It is false, as usual.

With the return to a more normal operational tempo, and with the end of the Canadian Forces combat mission in Afghanistan, we are now focused on redirecting our staff and other resources toward long-term sustainability.

It is true that the member and her party have opposed every investment we have made in equipment, in bases, in support for the men and women in uniform and their families.

Transport

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister for many years expressed concern as an Albertan about the heavy-handed intrusion of federal policy on the will of Albertans.

Right now, British Columbians oppose supertankers on the coastline, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities opposes the supertankers and today's polls show, by a margin of three to one, that British Columbians do not want oil tankers on their coastline.

Will the Prime Minister run roughshod over the will of British Columbians for his pet project?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, our government is confident that sound regulations are in place to ensure petroleum products are transported safely along the B.C. coast.

In the last five years, close to 500 supertankers have been close to the shores with no accidents. All tankers arriving in Canadian ports are inspected by Transport Canada to ensure that they comply with all Canadian and international regulations.

National Defence

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the report of the Auditor General, he states on page 3—

[An hon. member]

That is debate.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

No, it is not debate. It has to do with misleading the House, if members would please just give me the opportunity to say why:

Both National Defence and Public Works and Government Services Canada disagree with the conclusions set out in paragraphs 2.80 and 2.81.

The Prime Minister, the Minister of National Defence, the Associate Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Public Works and Government Services all stated that the government accepted the conclusions and recommendations of the report, but in fact when we look at what it is that National Defence and Public Works disagreed with, it is the entire substance of the report with respect to its factual findings on the lack of notice given to the public and to government with respect to critical information.

We were misled today, clearly and emphatically, by the Prime Minister.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, I say to the member that our government believes very strongly that the Auditor General's recommendations and conclusions were accurate, and we agree with them.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. I have not heard anything at this point that leads me to believe that this is a question of privilege.

If the member for Toronto Centre feels that statements need to be re-addressed, he can bring it up at a future question period, but question period is now over, and I have not heard anything that leads me to believe that it is a question of privilege.

I see the member for Toronto Centre rising. I will give him one more chance to tell the chair what he feels is a question of privilege, but dispute over the facts has never been counted as a question of privilege.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to what the minister just said. She said the Government of Canada accepts the recommendations and conclusions, and conclusions, of the Auditor General.

This runs in the face of what is stated on page 3 of the report.

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

It is not up to the Chair to determine the accuracy of statements.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. government House leader is also rising.

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, officials may have the views they have and he may have the views he has. This government has clearly expressed, through the ministers here, the views we have that we accept the findings of the Auditor General and the recommendations.

Oral Questions

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, during question period, the hon. member for Crowfoot, a gentleman for whom I have great respect, said, “The gun registry did not save one life”.

Unlike the Minister of National Defence and the—

[An hon. member]

That is debate.

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. I have said it before several times. If members take exception to something that was said during question period and they have a difference of opinion, they can bring that up in a future question period or perhaps during statements or any other different type of debate that goes on, but they are not to be raised through points of order well after question period.

The hon. member for Wascana.

National Defence

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my point relates to the intervention just moments ago by the government House leader where the government House leader said categorically that the government accepts both the conclusions and the recommendations of the Auditor General.

Do I take it then the government is saying it is withdrawing the point that appears on page—

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. Again, I have not heard anything that is a point of order or a question of privilege. It sounds as if it would be great material for a future question period, if members take an opposite view of what the government has said in its responses, but they are not points of order or questions of privilege, so we will move on.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

You are sheltering the government on—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

Foreign Affairs

[Bob Dechert, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaties entitled: Amendments to Annex 1 of the International Convention Against Doping in Sport adopted at Paris on November 15, 2011; Amendment to the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Romania on Cinematographic Relations done at Bucharest on February 22, 2012; the Second Protocol Amending the Convention Between Canada and the Republic of Austria for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital done at Vienna on December 9, 1976 as Amended by the Protocol done at Vienna on June 15, 1999, which was also done at Vienna on March 9, 2012.

An explanatory memorandum is included with each treaty.

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Every member of this place knows the basic rules of decorum in the House and that a member cannot challenge a Speaker's ruling. Beyond the fact that both the member for Toronto Centre and the member for Wascana challenged your ruling, just a few moments ago--