Debates of Sept. 24th, 2012

Conservative Party of Canada

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, surveys say that more and more Canadians are turning away from the Prime Minister and his party. People have united across the country in opposition to his leadership and wrong direction. It is not hard to figure out why. Let us look at last week's misleading Conservative carbon farce.

It was the Prime Minister himself who led the spin game, just like the Conservatives' attack on the environment, just like their attack on senior citizens, just like their attack on the integrity of the Canadian electoral system. This is a government that believes the voters are fools. Just because Canadians are reasonable does not mean they are pushovers. They remember the corruption of the old Mulroney Conservatives, but when they look at this gang, they see it is much worse. It is like the ugly spawn of Richard Nixon. No wonder Canadians are fed up. No wonder they want a party of integrity. That is why they support the New Democratic Party of Canada.

New Democratic Party of Canada

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Mississauga—Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP's motivation for its carbon tax is clear: billions and billions in new revenue for the government taken from hard-working Canadian families. However, do not take the Conservatives' word for it. The NDP members for Burnaby—New Westminster, Edmonton—Strathcona and Skeena—Bulkley Valley have all confirmed it.

Page 4 of the New Democrat platform 2011 costing document also confirms in black and white its plan to raise $21 billion in revenue, and during the NDP leadership campaign, the current leader of the NDP actually issued a backgrounder, which lists as one of his goals to implement a comprehensive cap and trade system to generate billions of dollars in new revenue. Those are enough warning signs for Conservatives and it is enough of a warning sign for Canadians.

The NDP can try to hide its carbon tax. On this side of the House, we will not let them do it.

The Economy

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, Canadians are expecting more bad news about the economy this week. For three consecutive quarters, growth has been less than 1%, well below the Conservatives' projections. The big banks just announced their economic forecasts, which are lower than the Conservatives' projections.

Canadians do not like the Prime Minister's approach. Experts reject the Conservatives' projections.

When will the Conservatives listen and change their approach to the economy?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is committed to creating jobs, promoting Canadian exports and accelerating economic growth.

We are very proud to have created a large number of jobs in the last three years, and we are working even harder to strengthen our economic growth. That is why we developed many job creation measures in this year's budget, but the NDP voted against each of these measures.

Canada is working hard to stimulate business.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, TD Bank economists are projecting that growth will continue to fall well below government estimates. Scotiabank economists are forecasting an outright decline in the Canadian economy. The Bank of Canada has downgraded its own projections and is expected to do so again soon.

When will the Conservative government finally admit it is on the wrong track and change course?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government is promoting job creation and economic growth. We have been working hard.

We have seen the creation of some 770,000 net new jobs. That is a great accomplishment, but it is not enough. That is why we have redoubled our efforts on job creation with this year's budget. That is why both the IMF and the OECD project Canada to have among the strongest growth in the G7.

We are continuing to stay focused to create more jobs for Canadians. Every single time we come forward with initiatives to create jobs, the NDP stands in its place and votes no. We need the NDP to take a positive prospect of economic growth and not bring in a big carbon tax for Canadians.

Foreign Affairs

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, British government sources leaked the details of a new agreement to create shared British-Canadian embassies in countries around the world. In these countries, Canada would now be represented by a desk at the British embassy instead of an independent Canadian diplomatic mission.

Why did Canadians have to learn about this through the British press? If the Conservatives will not stand up for Canada in the world, why do they expect that the British will do it for us?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has a strong and independent foreign policy.

What we will be announcing in an hour's time is that we will be moving forward with a small number of administrative arrangements where we can co-locate. Let me give two examples.

In Haiti, the British government has no presence. It will be able to have a desk and an office in the Canadian embassy. In Burma, before we even have an embassy open, we have a Canadian working at the U.K. embassy.

This is a small administrative agreement. It has nothing to do with what the NDP has just suggested. Canada will continue to have a made-in-Canada foreign policy, one that is based on Canadian values and Canadian principles.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has 97 embassies or high commissions around the world. Great Britain has 144. Under this agreement, Great Britain would be Canada's de facto face to the world. Canada's foreign affairs policy would be hard to distinguish from Britain's. If this is the case, how can the Conservatives claim that Canada could maintain a strong, independent voice around the world?

Even nostalgia for the British Empire has its limits.

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is just making it up as he goes along. He refers to an agreement that we have not even released yet.

Here is what we do around the world. Canadians are working out of the Australian mission in Cambodia; Australians are working out of the Canadian mission in Colombia. The United Kingdom works out of our mission in Mali. Canada provides services to Australians in Ivory Coast, Algeria, Mali, Romania, Venezuela and Ecuador. Australia provides services to us in Bali, Hawaii, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and Laos. Canada even depends on such friends and allies as Jamaica to help us out.

What we are talking about are services like providing a passport and providing consular services to Canadians when they need it abroad.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve better. Canadians deserve the best diplomatic representation. They deserve the best consular services and under the Conservatives they will get neither.

The Conservatives need to find money to curb the deficit they created with their irresponsible corporate tax cuts. Why stop at the embassies? They could merge our armed forces. No wonder they are so nostalgic for the War of 1812. Why not merge the Senate with the House of Lords? It is the same difference. Why not a united Olympic team? The Conservatives could do that, or they could stand up for Canada.

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada will continue to pursue a strong, principled, value-based, independent Canadian foreign policy.

When the member opposite talks about amalgamation and borrowing one from the other, it is funny because the New Democratic Party finally had to turn to the Liberal Party to find itself a new leader.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if it is just a small administrative arrangement, I wonder if the minister could explain why he is having a highly touted press conference with the British foreign minister to discuss it?

If we have such a wonderful, independent foreign policy, why is the Prime Minister of Canada not discussing that foreign policy in front of the United Nations this week, like so many other heads of state?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member for Toronto Centre back. We are excited to see him back here in Ottawa.

Obviously the Prime Minister of Canada continues to play a leading role on the world stage. He will be visiting New York later this week where he will have the opportunity to represent Canada at a number of very important bilaterals.

I am going to go out on a limb and invite the member for Toronto Centre, the leader of the Liberal Party. The Prime Minister, in New York, will be celebrated and honoured as the best statesman of the year. There will be a seat in the front row for the leader of the Liberal Party, the member for Toronto Centre.

The Economy

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister of Canada is prepared to speak at the United Nations for Canada, I would be proud to sit in the Canadian delegation and listen to him speak there. That is where the Prime Minister of Canada should be speaking on behalf of Canada.

In a speech just last month, the Governor of the Bank of Canada said that income inequality was an issue that could not be dismissed and could not be set aside, that it was a question that needed to be discussed, debated and acted upon by Canadians. Does the minister agree with the Governor of the Bank of Canada?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, very much. We agree with the governor when he says that we need to do more job creation, have more economic growth and inspire more hope for opportunity in Canada's economy. That is why our government has done so many things to help people with limited incomes. We have taken hundreds of thousands of low-income Canadians off the table. We reduced the GST by two points and cut taxes for every Canadian, including those of modest incomes.

That is why we remain focused on job creation and economic growth. As long as there is one Canadian out there looking for work, the government will be hard on the job to ensure we provide everyone with the opportunities that they and their families so desperately need.

[Bob Rae, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that this government has difficulty even saying the words “economic inequality”.

In the United States, Europe and throughout the developed world, this is becoming an increasingly serious problem. The rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer.

That is why we want to see specific programs to address the problem of economic inequality.

Why does the government refuse to do anything about it?

[John Baird, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the government is hard at work every day pushing for economic growth and has brought forth initiatives to help tackle income inequality. I will name a number of areas where we have done just that: the labour market agreements for persons with disabilities; working while on claim changes; working income tax benefit; increasing old age security and GIS benefits; increasing Canada's social transfer, 6% to support health care and 3% to support post-secondary education; the universal child tax benefit; the child tax credit; and expanding economic opportunities for aboriginals.

Every time we brought forward those initiatives, the Liberal Party fought them tooth and nail. Maybe the Liberals should stand in their place and apologize and support these good initiatives.

Foreign Affairs

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative plan to share embassies was leaked to the media on the weekend and made Canada the butt of jokes on two continents. However, it is no laughing matter when our closest ally is privately questioning whether Canada can be trusted to keep secrets. Senior U.S. officials are calling the leaked documents around Omar Khadr a serious breach of trust.

Will the minister take responsibility and investigate the leak and will he reassure our allies that Canada is a reliable partner?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot comment on the accuracy of the Maclean's article and I do not know the source of the material. Certainly, I have never received any transcripts from the Americans.

Access to these documents is strictly controlled within the Government of Canada. In respect of the issue, I will review all relevant material and make a decision in accordance with Canadian law.

[Ève Péclet, NDP, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians and our allies are really beginning to wonder if they can trust the Conservatives. This is not the first time that an information leak has raised questions about the Conservatives' competence when it comes to foreign affairs. A botched mechanism for sharing information with the United States will have a negative impact on our relationships with other countries.

Will the minister clearly tell our allies that they can trust Canada by apologizing and investigating this leak, or will he simply delegate the mandate to the British High Commission?

[Vic Toews, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, our allies know they can trust us implicitly on this matter. In fact, perhaps the member should wonder why members of her party would suggest that we already prejudge the Khadr case by paying Mr. Khadr $10 million, as the NDP has indicated it wants to do.

Foreign Investment

[Hélène LeBlanc, NDP, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the matter of the pending CNOOC takeover of Nexen, there is no risk of any information being leaked. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service report is crystal clear: some foreign state-owned companies that invest in Canada have a hidden political agenda, which could pose a danger to our interests.

Will the Conservatives take that information into account? Will they conduct public consultations to be sure that all viewpoints have been heard?

[Gary Goodyear, Conservative, Minister of State (Science and Technology) (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario)]

Mr. Speaker, our government will always act in the best interests of Canadians. I can assure the member that this transaction will be scrutinized very closely.

The Investment Canada Act process, by the way, has provisions in it that protect national security.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is only 19 days until decision day on Nexen. The government does not have time to keep making stuff up in the House of Commons. It should be addressing the concerns of Canadians right here.

Even CSIS has raised concerns about these types of takeovers. On page 19 of last Thursday's report, it states, “...certain state-owned enterprises...have pursued opaque agendas”...when they “seek to acquire control over strategic sectors of the Canadian economy, it can represent a threat to Canadian security interests”.

Will the minister put aside his talking points and acknowledge legitimate concerns, including from his own caucus? Why will the Conservatives not consult with Canadians?