Debates of May 31st, 2012

Employment

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act took wages out of competition so that contractors on federal projects would win jobs based on their skill and their ability, not their ability to find cheaper and cheaper wages. Incredibly, the Conservatives have repealed the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act. I have not noticed a lot of construction workers demanding the right to work for less. In whose interest is it to drive down the wages of Canadian workers, especially on projects built with their own tax dollars?

My question is, by what convoluted logic is it in anybody's best interest to drive down the wages of Canadian workers by repealing the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act?

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to promoting fair and inclusive workplaces free of discriminatory barriers. The amendment is to improve the design and delivery of the federal contractors program by raising contract thresholds and streamlining program requirements. More importantly, modernizing the federal contractors program would reduce the administrative burdens on small and medium-sized contractors, a key recommendation of the Red Tape Reduction Commission.

National Defence

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, watching the government on the F-35 has been like watching somebody digging a very deep hole. For the past 22 months the Liberal Party has been saying start with a solid statement of requirements based on solid foreign policy and defence objectives, and then hold an open and transparent competition. That way we will get the very best plane for the best price and with the best industrial benefits, but the Conservatives keep digging that hole deeper and deeper.

My advice to them is to stop digging the hole, start over, and save the Canadian taxpayer billions of dollars.

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

Mr. Speaker, it was the Liberal record—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The Associate Minister of National Defence has the floor.

[Julian Fantino, Conservative, Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it was the Liberal record of appalling negligence that brought us 10 years of darkness. Over these 10 years defence spending in Canada dropped to only 1% of nominal GDP in 2005, a level that placed us in the lowest of the NATO nations.

Our government remains committed to overcoming this lethargic approach to funding our military. We are, in fact, increasing our support for our military, unlike what the previous Liberal government did during its 10 years of darkness.

The Environment

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in solidarity with Black Out Speak Out, a campaign to highlight the Conservatives' persistent assault on the environment and democracy, the Liberal website will be darkened on June 4. By silencing scientists—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order.

Order. Once again I will ask members to hold off on their applause until the member has finished putting the question.

The hon. member for Etobicoke North has the floor.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, by silencing scientists, threatening NGOs—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. member for Etobicoke North has the floor.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in solidarity with Black Out Speak Out, a campaign to highlight the Conservatives' persistent assault on the environment and democracy, the Liberal website will be darkened on June 4. By silencing scientists, threatening NGOs, firing or insulting—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. member for Etobicoke North has a few seconds left to finish putting the question.

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, by silencing scientists, threatening NGOs, firing or insulting independent watchdogs, using Revenue Canada as an attack dog or de-funding groups, the message is clear from the government: “Sit down and shut up”.

Today it is environmental groups. My question for the Prime Minister is, who is next?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. It is not the Liberal Party that is blacking out their website. It is the Canadian voter who is blacking it out.

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, will anyone hear it?

Fisheries and Oceans

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it would be better to hear nothing than to hear the absurd answers the Conservatives give us every day.

In fact, speaking of absurd answers, I would like to mention the one from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, who today is quoting what was said by Tom Siddon, the former Minister of Fisheries under Mulroney, saying that at the time, he thought the law was a good one. Indeed, the law is a good one.

Why does the government now want to dismantle the Fisheries Act and withdraw from habitat protection, by burying this scandal in a budget implementation bill? This is scandalous.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and for the Asia-Pacific Gateway]

Mr. Speaker, we are of the opinion that the Fisheries Act needs modernization. It was originally written in 1868, and that is even a few years before the member for Cardigan arrived here.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. I thought things had been going relatively well up until a few seconds ago. The hon. parliamentary secretary has just a few seconds left to finish his response.

[Randy Kamp, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the measures we have introduced allow us to introduce a new, focused, practical, sensible approach to protecting fish habitat with the goal of protecting fisheries that Canadians depend on.

We are committed to that. I hope the opposition will join us in that.

Ministerial Expenditures

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the travel claims by the Minister of International Cooperation are a real work in progress that shifts as the winds of scandal blow.

Her staff are not even able to explain why changes were made in the travel claims for trips to Korea, Haiti or Africa. They refuse to provide the details

Changes were already made earlier this year, for her to repay her extravagant expenses. The minister throws money out the window, and then she tries to cover her tracks behind herself.

Can she be honest, for a change, and tell us why those claims were tampered with?

[Bev Oda, Conservative, Minister of International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, all incremental costs that should not have been expensed, including extraneous car service, et cetera, have been repaid.

Only appropriate expenses and eligible expenses have been paid by the government.