David Anderson

[June 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, there is a real litany of fiction. It is very interesting. Let me go through some of the things about which she wants to hear. We have committed over $1 billion over three years for the community development trust. That is to support communities directly affected by the mountain pine beetle. Of this funding, $233 million is going to B.C. and Alberta to assist communities and workers. We continue to invest in combatting mountain pine beetle, providing $600,000 in 2010-11 to support science on that very issue.

Nature has presented us with a very difficult challenge in the mountain pine beetle infestation, but the Government of Canada is continuing to face this challenge squarely by working with the provinces, industry, forestry communities and first nations.

[June 16th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate to hear someone be so pessimistic. The three members of the coalition seem to have little to say that is positive. I guess it is because they are experiencing little that is positive, being in the situation in which they are. The problem with finding a bad partner is that it often leads to misery.

I want to talk about opportunity and the sense of optimism taking shape across Canada. Our natural resources sector, like the rest of our economy, is showing clear signs of recovery. Prices for many commodities are rallying. In the forest sector, for example, the price of lumber per thousand board feet has increased from $195 to $314, more than 60% in the past year. Our export of wood products increased by 2.1% just from January to February.

We need to be encouraged by these positive signs. Most industry analysts expect further improvements as the global economy recovers. The worst may be behind us, but we are not out of the woods yet. Canada's forest industry faces pressure from tough global competition. In British Columbia and Alberta in particular, we know the unprecedented infestation of the mountain pine beetle continues to cause strain.

As all members know, the Government of Canada is very concerned about these challenges. That is why we have taken such clear and decisive action to renew Canada's forest sector. Budget 2010 committed $100 million over four years to support the development, commercialization and implementation of advanced and new technologies in the forest sector. This support will help make Canada's forest industry even more competitive.

In June 2009 we launched the $1 billion pulp and paper green transformation program. Through this new program, we are working to make Canada's pulp and paper industry a greener, more sustainable industry and a leader in the new global bio-economy.

In April this government made two announcements in British Columbia under the green transformation program. At Port Mellon, we announced a $6 million investment in the Howe Sound Pulp and Paper mill. In Kamloops we announced an investment of more than $57 million for two capital projects at Domtar.

These initiatives are building on the unprecedented steps that our government has taken under Canada's economic action plan to support the forest industry and all who depend on it. The action plan is providing $1 billion over two years under the community adjustment fund to mitigate the short-term effects of economic restructuring. We are also making significant investments in skills and training. We have provided $1.5 billion over two years to the provinces and territories for skills training.

Our action plan allocates $170 million specifically to help our forest industry develop new products and processes and capitalize on new markets. The initiative includes the industry efforts to find new uses and markets for B.C.'s beetle-killed timber. Perhaps the member does not know that a worldwide audience saw a great example of this at the Richmond Olympic Oval during the Winter Olympics. With 15 massive beams and a roof made from 1 million board feet of timber, beetle-killed timber is prominently displayed in this world-class speed skating facility. We have taken many other concrete actions to deal with the effects of mountain pine beetle.

Our government has and will continue to support forestry workers and communities now and in the future, while securing a sustainable and competitive forest sector for the future.

[Offshore Drilling, June 11th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if people are lying about this issue, or if they are just plain misled, but clearly Canadians are being misled. The requirements for drilling include things like worker safety plans, contingency plans and emergency response plans. The member knows that if she had been listening to the testimony that has been heard at committee, she would know that the safety regime in this country is as good as that in any country in the world.

[Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, June 9th, 2010]

Madam Speaker, I am very disappointed in the extreme reaction of the NDP members. They do not seem to want to allow the minister to speak. They are screaming at him, they are using extreme language and maybe that is more an indication of their position here rather than dealing accurately with the bill.

These free trade agreements are great things because they do a number of things. The NDP opposes even a general sentence like that. I do not know how those members can stand and say that they want to support free trade. As the minister pointed out, they have opposed it at every possible place and every position they can.

Free trade agreements open up trade around the world and allows nations to step into their place in the global economy. They give opportunities, particularly for nations which need to improve their economies, to improve the conditions in their country. It requires responsibility from these countries as well, and that is one of the reasons why we do this. The NDP does not seem, as usual, to understand that either.

I also point out that I am from an agricultural area and there is significant agricultural trade with those South American nations and with Colombia. We never hear the NDP members talk about that. They refuse to because they do not have any connection any longer with the agricultural areas in this country or anywhere else around the world.

Once again, those members are shouting across trying to keep other people from speaking, but that seems to be the way they want to conduct this debate. Therefore, we have come to the point today where it is time to vote. They have had their say, but they do not want anyone else to have their say.

I would like the minister talk a little about the benefits to agriculture as well as the overall benefits of this agreement for Canadians, for Canadian farmers and for Colombians as well. It is time to move on from these old-fashioned ideas of the world, which we hear from across the way here. Those members believe in protectionism and fear over facts. They believe in using misleading statements. They will even try to present information at committee that is inaccurate. They do not seem to be willing to apologize or to accept the fact that they have been misleading Canadians and parliamentarians with their information.

Why would NDP members be locked in a time warp like this? They seem unable to get out of it. Could the minister explain to us the benefits of moving ahead, the benefits of free trade, the benefits that Canadians and Colombians might experience from this agreement?

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2010]

Mr. Chair, earlier you had suggested we could use a couple of minutes of our time to give the numbers to the opposition that they had asked for earlier, if that is okay with you, and then I will turn it over to the member for Vegreville—Wainwright.

I will give this information to my colleague tomorrow as I notice that he may not be here right now.

However, in terms of the clean energy fund, the renewables and clean energy, these are the projects that are announced: wind storage has received $18 million; tidal offshore winds, small hydro received $35.3 million; hybrid and the northern projects received $31 million; communities and buildings received about $8.7 million; biomass received $22 million; and the smart grid received $31 million; for the total of $146 million that we mentioned earlier.

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2010]

Mr. Chair, I do not know if this should be a point of order, but I did want to give the information to the member in regard to his initial questions. We can do that later, or is there time to do that now?

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2010]

Mr. Chair, in the past, if a member has wanted specific numbers, I think we have been given the time to find them. We can take that time to find them, or we can get them to him later. It is up to him. If he wants to use his time having us look up those numbers, we can do that. If he wants to go on to something else, we can get those numbers to him.

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2010]

Mr. Chair, we want some clarity on what the member is asking. Is he talking about this fiscal year or last year?

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2010]

Mr. Chair, you were not here earlier and someone else was in the chair, but she actually had to bring the Liberals back to the topic at hand earlier. They were talking about people's employment status. They did not know what they were talking about in terms of process. The member opposite did not even understand that people other than the minister could answer. They are clearly off here, trying to ask these obscure questions and think that they somehow have scored somewhere, when Canada is actually leading in these technologies. They should be congratulating the minister, not standing and complaining.

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2010]

Madam Chair, she thinks she is talking about Natural Resources, but she is actually talking about a completely different department. Her other colleague got the employment status of the person she was talking about confused. This member has the departments confused.

We are here tonight to actually talk about the estimates for Natural Resources. I think the minister would like to do that. I know he has even more good things that he can share with Canadians about what we are doing in terms of our projects and programs.

It is frustrating for Canadians to have to listen to this kind of thing tonight when they tuned in to hear us talk about the estimates for the Department of Natural Resources and to talk about our programs, our policies, and the things that are working for Canadians.