Debates of May 8th, 2013

Public Works and Government Services Canada

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, then there is the other $2.5 billion.

According to today's Toronto Star, the government has spent $2.4 billion over the past decade on consulting contracts, yet no details on 90% of these contracts have been made public. This is a black hole of accountability.

Treasury Board guidelines specify that departments are to proactively publish information on contracts and are encouraged to provide a brief description of each contract so the public may benefit. Even their own weak guidelines are being infringed.

What happened to the Conservatives' promise of transparency and accountability?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, of course our government has a responsibility to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used as efficiently as possible. In some cases that does mean that government does contract out. For instance, first nation nurses in first nation communities, experts in that particular field, are contracted out. I think that is exactly the right thing to do.

We did take steps, as the hon. member mentioned, to ensure there was greater transparency. She has cited a particular report that indicates that not all departments took that up, and I will endeavour to ensure that is looked into.

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about $2.4 billion in contracts with no expenditure reports. Is that sound management of taxpayers' money?

Here is another disturbing example: a contract worth over $600,000 was granted to a numbered company with a dead phone at a residential address.

Reports are made in as few as 10% of cases, and 60% of those contracts were granted without a tendering process.

When will the Conservatives clean up the management of the contracting process at Public Works?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used as efficiently as possible.

In some cases, the government signs contracts—for example, nursing contracts—with private sector companies, particularly in first nations communities and rural regions.

However, our government is responsible for taking steps to ensure greater transparency. I may be able to find other ways of achieving this transparency.

Ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about $2.4 billion in secret contracts that were funnelled out the back door of government ministries. For example, they gave a $600,000 contract to a numbered company with a dead phone on a residential address.

The Conservatives promised ethical accountability; instead they gave us Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and these numbered companies. I think it is like the Conservative government and Conservative senators; they just cannot be trusted to police themselves.

Will the government promise to turn over tomorrow's internal Senate audit to the police to ensure there will at least be some investigation of the senators who have been ripping off the Canadian taxpayers? At least do that.

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

Mr. Speaker, none of us yet know what those audits say. They will be looked at by the Senate committee tomorrow. Then, I believe, they will be released. Certainly that is our expectation, as it is very much our government's expectation that the rules must be followed and that if any monies were inappropriately reimbursed, they must be reimbursed to the government.

Government Expenditures

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

Mr. Speaker, instead of investing in young Canadians so they can put their education to work, the government spent $2.4 billion on expensive consultants. Worse, in 90% of the cases, the government failed to publicly disclose what Canadians paid for, despite guidelines instructing each department to provide a description of the work done.

Why is the government blindly squandering billions of dollars on high-priced consultants, while doing nothing to help young Canadians who have to live in their parents' basements because there are no jobs available?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I am hoping the hon. member will agree with me that hiring nurses for first nations health in first nations communities is not somehow an abuse of government or an abuse of the taxpayer. Many of these contracts are for those kinds of services. The hon. member should keep that in mind.

Indeed, we have provisions in place for greater transparency. I take the hon. member's interest in this matter on its face and certainly would be happy to look into the fact that some departments have not increased their transparency.

Government Advertising

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last year, the government stopped funding the community access centres. In Ottawa, there are 17 of them used more than 50,000 times per year by seniors who would not otherwise be able to access Internet-based services and by students to apply for work.

Would the government consider cancelling one of its irritating ads on tonight's Leaf-Bruins game, save $95,000 and resume funding the community access centres? It is just one ad.

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture)]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is confused.

The community access program accomplished its mission. This program was implemented in 1995. It had its time and produced the desired effects. Today, with these good results, it is time to move on to other things. It is time to move forward.

We also announced the broadband Canada program in 2009 to make it easier for all Canadians to access the Internet. Naturally, the members opposite voted against this program.

[Rodger Cuzner, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the cost of the Conservative action plan TV ad during the first round of the NHL playoffs, $95,000. A Conservative action plan ad during the NHL finals, $140,000. Conservative action plan ads during the Oscars, $200,000. A summer job for a Canadian student, priceless.

While Canadian students are drowning in debt, the Conservatives are trying to advertise, telling them that it is a great day for a swim. Why have they cut 40,000 summer student positions each year since they have come to power?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, I completely reject that. Our government is investing in young Canadians in helping them get the skills they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow. That is why we introduced the Canada student grant programs so they could get help with their post-secondary education financing without having to pay it back.

We have also, in the current budget, included funding for 5,000 internships for new graduates. It is time the Liberals stop talking and start acting to support young Canadians in getting jobs.

Airline Safety

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives seem to have decided that the safety of Canadian travellers can now be measured in dollars and cents.

After first allowing fewer inspections, now the government is allowing WestJet to save some money by reducing the ratio of flight attendants per passenger, which is one of the most crucial factors in passenger safety.

For instance, in 2005, when an Air France Airbus burst into flames at Pearson airport, the high ratio of flight attendants is what saved the lives of all passengers on board.

Why is the minister playing games with passenger safety?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the hon. member used the example of France, which has the same regulations as the ones we just adopted, as does the United States.

The International Civil Aviation Organization uses the same ratio that we just adopted. Planes entering Canadian airspace from the United States also have that ratio.

We are confident that it is safe, which is why we approved it.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, cutting flight attendants is downright dangerous. Flight attendants are the first responders when there is sickness, a disturbance or, God forbid, accidents.

That is why former Conservative transport minister Lawrence Cannon chose not to change the ratio of passengers to flight attendants. That is why the current Minister of Foreign Affairs also rejected this change when he was at transport.

Why are the Conservatives now gambling with the safety of Canadians?

[Steven Fletcher, Conservative, Minister of State (Transport)]

Mr. Speaker, that member should really be sad about how she asked that question. Transport Canada's top priority is the safety and security of Canadian passengers and to suggest anything else is ridiculous.

The standard we now have for WestJet, one in fifty, is done with U.S. carriers. It is the standard used every day, including in Canadian air space. It is recognized by ICAO. We have the best air safety in the world, and it will stay that way.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last night the Minister of Foreign Affairs admitted Canada could and must do more in the crisis in Syria. We must do more diplomatically and we must do more to help humanitarian victims. Over 1.3 million people have been displaced and refugee camps are at the breaking point. The foreign affairs minister promised last night that he would speak to the Minister of Immigration to help with the refugee crisis and also to help reunite families.

Syrian Canadians are waiting. Where is the action?

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as was said last night in the debate, to date our government has provided $81.5 million to those affected by the crisis in Syria. Of that, $48.5 million has been used for humanitarian assistance.

Also yesterday in the debate it was clearly mentioned that this government had provided extra services for immigration both in Beirut and in Amman so we could process immigration faster and in accordance with Canadian law.

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to take the Conservatives seriously when the immigration minister refuses to meet with a number of groups representing Canadians of Syrian descent.

His colleague at foreign affairs said that we should be doing more. What a good opportunity to meet with these groups that have been waiting for a sign from the minister for months. They want to know what the plan is—and I mean a concrete plan—to accelerate the family reunification process for Syrian refugees whose family members have made Canada their home. Some 70,000 people are dead and 4 million people have been displaced.

What is the minister going to do?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the NDP is wrong.

I personally have met with dozens of members of Canada's Syrian community in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. In January, I met with Syrian refugees in Turkey. Last month, I met with Syrian community leaders from the Middle East in Baghdad.

We have already accelerated the family reunification process for families of Canadians who are in Syria. Almost all the files have been finalized. We are also among the countries contributing the most to the UN's efforts to help refugees in the region.

Labour

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the tax-and-spend socialist NDP continues to stand with its big union bosses to oppose our government's common sense reforms that would better protect Canadian taxpayers. The NDP continues to advocate for expensive gold-plated public sector pensions and entitlements that most Canadians do not receive.

Could the President of the Treasury Board please update the House on the government's intention to ensure crown corporations are sustainable into the future?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, the member's question is very timely because there are two different opinions in the House.

We on this side of the House, as the government, believe the government has the ultimate financial responsibility for crown corporations. We have to ensure, on behalf of the taxpayer, that crown corporations remain sustainable. The opposition NDP does not believe that. We believe we must look at all options for the financial viability of these crown corporations to protect the taxpayer. The NDP does not believe that. We want to ensure that public sector labour costs align across the board and better align with the private sector. Those members do not believe that. The NDP is on the side of public sector union bosses.

The Environment

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it was both sad and fascinating to hear the Minister of the Environment say yesterday that he was honoured to receive the fossil award. Obviously he and his government are from a different era, a time that people from my generation do not identify with. By withdrawing from the Kyoto protocol and treaties to combat desertification and by denying the urgency of fighting climate change, the minister is isolating Canada and making future generations foot the bill.

Why does he not do us the honour of thinking before he speaks?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious the NDP is still struggling with humour and irony. The inconvenient truth is that while the NDP wanders abroad attacking Canadian jobs, Canadian interests and responsible resource development, our government is actually doing something about it.

We are the first Canadian government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have decoupled GHG emissions from economic growth. We have implemented a world-class monitoring plan for the oil sands. We have launched a web portal for Canadians to see the results.

We can protect the environment and the economy.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the message from the minister is struggling, period.

The minister says that he is proud to be an international pariah, that he is proud of his “fossil awards”. The Minister of Natural Resources says that he is proud to deny climate science. The Prime Minister says that he is proud to vote against the motion for climate change adaptation. Canadians would be proud if we would actually work with our international partners to protect the environment.

Therefore, why is the minister celebrating the loss of Canadian credibility on the world stage?