Paul Crête

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, I would appreciate it if the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development would listen when we are speaking. It is rather difficult to speak while he is shouting.

I would like to speak of our relations with the Americans. The security and prosperity partnership will be one of the areas where I will be able to definitely judge whether or not the Canadian government changes its attitude.

These negotiations are currently being conducted in private, in secret. There is no point in reaching any agreement among these three countries unless the citizens observe them. If not the agreements are pointless. We know that the issue of job losses in the United States is presently being linked to free trade even though this should not be the case. We have to deal with the perceptions and that will be accomplished by adopting a more open attitude.

Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us if he is going to change his approach and drop the secrecy adopted at Montebello in particular? The government should have an open approach enabling citizens to be engaged in the negotiations. In this way, the relationship between Canada, the United States and Mexico will be centred on bettering the future of North America, particularly with respect to competition with the rest of the world, emerging countries and China in particular.

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, I want to come back to Canada's most important international relationship, its relationship with the United States of America.

In recent years, the situation has been quite unusual: our close alignment with the Bush administration has been rather unacceptable. Now, the American government's conduct is—

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, I would like to ask the Minister for La Francophonie a question. I am not sure if this question should be addressed to her specifically, but there is an important link.

We all know how anxious the Inter-Parliamentary Union is to hold its assembly in Quebec City in 2010. The government, in the beginning, was adamant that the organization had to change its internal rules, meaning that the rule allowing all of the parliamentarians to attend the assembly would not be respected. Following our repeated questioning, we received indications in this House that the government was working to soften its position.

Can we be guaranteed that real efforts are being made for this to happen? I am asking this question of the Minister for La Francophonie because the fact that this assembly could be held in Quebec City—with the global impact it would have—means it would be important that during the Sommet de la Francophonie this fall, which coincides in terms of dates, it be confirmed that the Inter-Parliamentary assembly will take place in Quebec City in 2010.

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, how much time do I have left?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, I think I am starting to detect a difference in the way the new minister responds compared to others today. There may be some hope. I hope his hands will not be tied by the attitudes we have seen in the past.

Let us talk about the free trade agreement with some of the European countries that the Bloc supported. There is one essential condition for this to work. Canada needs to have a very firm shipbuilding policy. Fifteen years is enough time to adjust. Nonetheless, will the Government of Canada submit a shipbuilding policy to ensure that we made the right choice in supporting this agreement because we will have given our shipbuilding industry a chance to meet the challenges within the deadlines outlined in the agreement?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, our relationship with the Americans is not always an easy one. Recently, the Americans included an addendum in the farm bill that complicates the softwood lumber issue. It has extremely negative effects, and there will be still more to come. Canada signed the softwood lumber agreement. Producers got refunds, and the Bloc supported that measure.

Now, will the Minister of Foreign Affairs act so that his government intervenes quickly to ensure as soon as possible that this addendum does not apply? The forestry industry in Quebec and Canada has enough problems already.

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, I understand that Canada will continue to flout the Convention on the Rights of the Child. There is therefore no change in that regard.

Many Canadian extractive companies working overseas regularly ignore locals' human rights. Yet the government has never acted on the report of the advisory group on the national round tables on corporate social responsibility and the Canadian extractive industry in developing countries.

When will the government act on the recommendations in this report? The government has had the report for several months.

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, the fact remains that it will take Canada until 2032 to meet its international goals. It will take until 2032, and this is 2008. It will therefore take 24 years, even though we are a very wealthy country.

On another note, I would like to talk about Omar Khadr. This Canadian national was taken prisoner in Afghanistan when he was just 15. Canada has not demanded that he be returned here, even though the Convention on the Rights of the Child requires that Canada do so because Mr. Khadr is being held illegally. The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that his detention is illegal.

Will the government finally promise to demand that the United States return Omar Khadr to Canada?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, I will begin by expressing my hopes that the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, if that will be his permanent position, will have the opportunity to put an end to the darkest period in the history of Canadian foreign affairs since I became a member. I have been a member in this House for 15 years and I have never seen a darker period than this one, ever since the Conservatives came to power.

Basically, the messenger was a greenhorn and not competent for the task, but the person responsible for his appointment was the Prime Minister of Canada, who sacrificed the people of Beauce in the interest of votes. That said, I hope that, from now on, we will have clear signs of the Conservatives' change of direction. The first thing I would like to ask the minister has to do with the millennium goals.

At present, only 0.29% of our gross domestic product is allocated to international aid, while the millennium goal is 0.7%. Considering the wealth of our society, how is it that the Conservative government has not taken action on this?

Based on our performance so far, we will not reach our objective until 2032. We often treat those who are most in need around the globe pretty much the same as people here at home. The government is currently adopting the same attitude towards international aid that it does towards employment insurance.

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2008]

Mr. Chair, I rise on a point of order. I believe that there is a problem with the interpretation. Those on the other side are not hearing the English.