House of Commons Hansard #138 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was csis.
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, these commitments represent a significant reduction for merchants, and, we hope, for consumers too.
The government is very much supporting the agreement and the CFIB applauds the end of the credit card arms race. It said, “Canada’s small business community is hailing new commitments that could bring an end to ever-increasing credit—
Glenn Thibeault NDP Sudbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, the fact is that this voluntary action by the credit card companies will not change a thing. While the minister was pleading with Visa and MasterCard to lower their fees by 10%, payment processor Chase Paymentech sent letters to small businesses raising their processing fees by 10%.
One uncompetitive fee goes down, another one goes up, and Canadians keep paying the highest fees in the world. Why could the Conservatives not bring in common sense regulations that would actually make a difference for small businesses?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure why the NDP members are opposed to a 10% reduction in credit card fees. This is promised by Visa and MasterCard, which represent over 90% of the market. Let me quote from the Retail Council of Canada. “[T]his is an important first step towards ending the escalation of credit card fees”, according to Diane Brisebois, chief executive of the council.
This is a very good measure.
Glenn Thibeault NDP Sudbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, the minister should talk to the Small Business Matters coalition and it will give him a reality check on today's announcement. There is nothing to address hidden fees, nothing to address the egregious refund fees, nothing to do with the proliferation of the premium cards. It is just, again, a voluntary code that is toothless.
Canadian consumers are also upset. As they will tell the minister, they are fed up with the way they are being treated by the telecoms and the banks. The government announces with great fanfare one of its voluntary codes that apparently makes cellphone contracts clear, but the ombudsman put out a report today that complaints about misleading contracts are about 75%. When will they stop the unfair—
Telecommunications IndustryOral Questions
Telecommunications IndustryOral Questions
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.
Conservative
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, we have taken a number of actions when it comes to the telecom policy that have clearly benefited Canadian consumers and the evidence is right before the member if he chooses to read it. The Wall report, which is the authoritative report on Canada's telecom industry, reports that our government's measures on spectrum transfer licences, on our spectrum auctions, on our tower sharing policy, everything that we have done to inspire competition, have led to a reduction in the average cellphone bill for Canadian consumers by 22%. We are delivering for Canadians.
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians get suspicious when the Conservatives talk about protecting consumers. Aside from a few cosmetic measures, the Conservatives have refused to discipline the banks and major telecommunications companies that too often abuse their power.
For example, the number of complaints about cell phone contracts have increased by 75% in the past year alone, mostly because contracts are unclear.
Why do the Conservatives refuse to intervene to better protect consumers?
Telecommunications IndustryOral Questions
November 4th, 2014 / 2:50 p.m.
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.
Conservative
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, that is not the case. We have implemented a number of measures to protect the interests of consumers.
It is very interesting. It is the same question in English and in French, but members complain that the number of complaints against telecommunication firms has gone down because our government has put in place measures to stand up for consumers. Therefore, because consumers are better protected, complaints are going down and somehow this is evidence that consumers are not being defended.
The fact is, because of more competition, because we have put in place measures that protect Canadian consumers, complaints are going down and prices are going down. There is more competition and Canadians are winning.
Joy Smith Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we became aware of a disgusting video showing a group of young ISIL men laughing and joking while they wait to buy Yazidi women in the ISIL slave market. This video truly drives home the depravity and barbarity of ISIL as it rampages through Syria and Iraq. Untold thousands of women and children have been captured by ISIL to be parcelled out as sex slaves.
Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs please tell us what Canada is doing to help address this horrendous crime?
John Baird ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, on human trafficking, Canadians can be very proud of the leadership of the member for Kildonan—St. Paul.
Canada is assisting ISIL's victims of sexual violence. A team of experts will arrive on the ground this week. Another team conducting investigations and victim outreach will deploy shortly after that. Humanitarian and military assistance are not exclusive. That is why this government is participating with France, with the United Kingdom, with the United States, to try to stop the terrorists from doing these barbaric practices.
As the president of France said yesterday, we will not sit idly by with these types of barbaric activities. We are trying to stop it.
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the parliamentary secretary swore that CBC was entirely the master of its own decisions. That is great, but I have here the minutes of the November 25, 2013, board of directors meeting, which proves the contrary. The minutes say that, and I quote, “Board members inquired...whether the minister's office has raised issues in relation to some on air personalities”.
How can the parliamentary secretary claim that CBC is independent when the board of the directors is constantly catering to the minister's whims when it comes to programming?
Shelly Glover ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question, but his comments were made completely out of context.
CBC is fully responsible for its own operational decisions. As far as CBC/Radio Canada's decisions are concerned, again, two measures were mentioned in the papers. They talk about a well-known sovereignist in the country who was criticized. The entire country was there for that discussion and CBC admitted that it was wrong. We support them, but this is their decision.
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Mr. Speaker, since we are talking about all manner of things, let us also talk about the tailor who has to close shop because of a $67,000 debt.
Let us look at the facts. At least 9 of the 12 members of the board of directors are Conservative Party donors. The Minister of Canadian Heritage talks directly to the CEO when the programming does not suit her. We also have a board of directors that wonders what the minister might think about the programming. That is grossly inappropriate.
Is the minister surprised by the fact that today four CBC unions are calling for the resignation of her henchmen who are there to dismantle our public broadcaster? Enough is enough.
Shelly Glover ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, there are a number of issues with what the hon. member just said. Let us talk about what the hon. member just said about a program called Hard.
Although our government does not control CBC/Radio-Canada's programming, the explicit sexual nature of this program in particular, which was available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and accessible to children, raised concerns not only in our government, but also at Radio-Canada. In this particular case, the CRTC has rules that were not followed and Radio-Canada decided to pull that show.
Denis Blanchette NDP Louis-Hébert, QC
Mr. Speaker, the mayors of Lévis and Quebec City held a joint press conference yesterday to denounce the disgraceful state of the Quebec Bridge. Like the NDP, they are calling on people to mobilize in support of repairs to the bridge.
Unfortunately, the federal government is spending more time and money on legal battles with CN than on its efforts to maintain the bridge.
Will the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs pledge today to set aside the legal battle and find a long-term solution by the end of the year?
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, with respect to the decision, obviously the government is disappointed with the first decision and officials are looking into that ruling. We are waiting for a second part of the judgment before commenting further on the ruling. However, we continue to believe that CN should have respected its agreement regarding the condition of the paint of the bridge and we agree with the mayors of Lévis and Quebec City that CN is responsible for painting the bridge.
Denis Blanchette NDP Louis-Hébert, QC
Mr. Speaker, an entire region is sick of what is and is not happening at present.
The Quebec Bridge is at risk if we allow rust to erode the structure. The minister's job is to pick up the telephone and come to an agreement with CN's boss. It is not complicated.
The farce has gone on long enough. It is time to put a coat of paint on the Quebec Bridge and it is time for the minister to do his job.
Will the minister reach an agreement with CN, or is he actually saying that the railway companies can do whatever they want?
Jeff Watson ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, once again, we are disappointed with this ruling. Officials are looking into the ruling. We are waiting for the second part of the judgment before commenting further.
However, we continue to believe that CN should have honoured its agreement concerning the condition of the paint on the bridge.
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Mr. Speaker, there are any number of ways to celebrate the glory of the “Rocket”, Maurice Richard. People have suggested the “Maurice Richard Bell Centre” and the “Maurice Richard Highway 50”.
Does the Prime Minister finally understand why the Champlain Bridge must be called the “Champlain Bridge”?
Does he realize that Samuel de Champlain was nothing less than the founder of Canada, according to the great historian Marcel Trudel? Does he realize that it was Champlain who bestowed upon Canada its ideal of being a land of tolerance that achieves success through diversity?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, of course we are aware of the concerns about the name of the bridge to be built across the St. Lawrence.
No decision has been made yet, and I think it is a shame that anyone would attempt to pit two great historical figures, Samuel de Champlain and Maurice Richard, against each other.
If the member were really so proud of the Champlain Bridge, he would have maintained it when he was responsible for it.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday at a press conference with President Hollande, the Prime Minister added as a point of information that Canada had reduced its emissions from the oil sands by over 40%. Really? The fact is that emissions will have risen dramatically from 34 megatonnes to 101 megatonnes by 2020.
Was that a point of information or was it a point of misinformation?
Leona Aglukkaq ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of our record. We are a co-founding member of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. We have made significant investments to help support green energy and infrastructure internationally. We provided $1.2 billion to developing countries to address climate change.
Thanks to our actions, carbon emissions will go down close to 130 megatonnes from what they would have been under the Liberals, without introducing a carbon tax.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, last year, the Minister of Veterans Affairs asked the veterans affairs committee to do a comprehensive study on the new veterans charter, which is exactly what it did. The committee unanimously adopted 14 recommendations, recommendations that in some cases are two to three years old already. Six months after the report was tabled in the House, the Minister of Veterans Affairs' response was that we need more study.
I would like to remind the government and the Minister of Veterans Affairs that veterans can no longer wait. A benefit delayed is a benefit denied. When will the government move on the recommendations of the unanimous report?
Julian Fantino ConservativeMinister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to thank the member and indeed all members for their approach during the past few weeks. It is times such as this when politicians actually become parliamentarians. I salute the member and indeed all members for their hard work.
To his question, I responded to the committee's report with a phased response. We are working on that.
However, this week, we focus on remembrance, something I am sure that the hon. member and all of us here enthusiastically support.
