Dean Del Mastro

[Budget Implementation Act, 2009, February 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the hon. member's speech with some interest. I want to point out a number of inconsistencies in her speech.

First, she said that members of her party were looking to the budget with hope. Actually, they were not looking to the budget for hope. They were voting against it before they ever saw it.

Second, she cited a number of measures in the United States. The United States is our number one trading partner. I am a member of a party that has always been supportive of a positive relationship with the United States. During my first three years in Parliament, her party spent its time bashing the United States every time it had an opportunity to so. That was not productive in our relationship.

Has the NDP looked outside of Canada's borders? Does it understand what is going on? Does it understand that places like Great Britain are having great difficulty? The United States is not the only other nation that is encountering difficulty. Canada has been insulated by the measures of this government, the proactive actions that we have taken. Does the hon. member understand that? Does she look outside of Canada's borders, or does she just look within and see nothing?

[Interparliamentary Delegations, February 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the reports of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group representing its participation at the National Governors Association 2008 annual meeting, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 11 to 14; the Pacific Northwest Economic Region 18th annual summit, Vancouver, British Columbia, July 20 to 24, 2008; and the Canadian-American Border Trade Alliance fall meeting held September 14 to 16, 2008, in Washington, D.C.

[375th anniversary of Trois-Rivières, February 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, if there is a misunderstanding on this file, it is certainly not within the government.

The 375th anniversary of Trois-Rivières is a great event. It is an event which all Canadians will celebrate. Our government has committed up to $2 million toward this anniversary. It is a great investment. It is a great celebration. We are proud to partner with Trois-Rivières. Bonne fête!

[Culture, February 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I can assume by the question that the Bloc is only looking to deflect from what is really a great story. Frankly, what we should be focusing on are the outstanding investments that the government is making, under the economic action plan, into the arts and culture community for Canada. Like everything else, like EI, like the investments into infrastructure that the government will make, the Bloc will vote against these outstanding investments in arts and culture. I cannot understand it.

[Culture, February 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud that our government is the most supportive government of arts and culture in Canada's history. We have talked a lot about our economic action plan this morning during question period. I would like to outline a little of what the economic action plan includes for artists. More than $276 million in new money in support of arts and culture, which is unheard of in Canada. A grand total of almost $530 million of funding are committed in this budget to the arts. It is great news. I cannot understand why the Bloc does not support it.

[Warren Kinsella, February 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, when a man has only a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail. The outbursts of top Liberal strategist Warren Kinsella are well known.

In 2007, he suggested that a female member of the Ontario legislature should be home “baking cookies” rather than attending a political event. Last week he complained that he and friends went to a popular Ottawa Chinese restaurant “if we didn't have a girlfriend who could cook”. He then accused the Chinese-Canadians of serving up barbecued cat.

Now Warren Kinsella has turned his belligerence against a popular Canadian journalist and artist, Pierre Bourque. Mr. Kinsella called him a dork for his artistic sensitivity.

Mr. Bourque received warmest thanks from the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall for an oil painting Mr. Bourque sent them as a wedding gift. They did not think he was a dork for sharing his talent, unlike Mr. Kinsella.

Warren Kinsella's recent comments have hammered women's equality, racial tolerance and, most recently, artistic expression. It is time for the Liberal leader to ask, once again, for his hand-picked senior adviser to apologize to all Canadians.

[February 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, just to be clear, the city requested $2 million to assist in the celebration of the 375th anniversary. It will receive $2 million from the federal government. We are partnering with the city to make this a grand celebration, a celebration which will be enjoyed and celebrated by all Canadians, and we look forward to that.

[February 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, it is my honour to respond to the question of the hon. member.

Trois-Rivières came forward last year. It requested $2 million in support from the federal government, and it will receive $2 million. I am sure it will be a great celebration enjoyed by all, in partnership with the federal government.

In fact, just last year the mayor of Trois-Rivières, Yves Lévesque, thanked our government when we announced that Trois-Rivières was eligible for funding of up to $2 million from the cultural capital program. Mr. Lévesque said, “this prestigious title will allow us to finance a series of cultural activities in the context of the 375th anniversary of Trois-Rivières”.

That is our commitment. We intend to follow through on that commitment. We intend to see this event through and assist Trois-Rivières in celebrating what will be a great celebration for all Canadians. At the 375th anniversary of Trois-Rivières, we will be standing shoulder to shoulder wishing bonne fête to the city of Trois-Rivières.

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I enjoyed listening to the member's speech. I know he is an advocate for human rights and obviously he is quite passionate about that.

With respect to U.S. relations and the buy American bill, I am sure the member is aware of some of the efforts that have been going on. The members for Leeds—Grenville, Edmonton—Leduc, Yellowhead, Westlock—St. Paul, Malpeque and York West have all been in direct contact with colleagues in the United States, Democrats and Republicans, members of Congress and members of the Senate. We have been in contact with members at the very highest level, including the house leader of Congress. Last year the member for Yellowhead and the member for Edmonton--Leduc met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and specifically put forward Canada's issues.

Ambassador Michael Wilson has been forcefully putting forward Canada's message. Former ambassador Frank McKenna has also worked very hard on this. This is a great time for Liberals, Conservatives, for all Canadians, for all members of the House, to get together and to tell the Americans that we are their friends, we can work together, we are stronger together, we have one future and it is tied.

I hope the member agrees with that point.

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I agree with the premise of the member's argument and obviously agree that the U.S. relationship is very important, which is why I made the argument in the run-up to the 2006 election when I was running as a candidate. I also made the point emphatically clear in the 2008 election. I have sat with members, like the members for Yellowhead, Edmonton—Leduc, Saskatoon—Humboldt, Leeds—Grenville and members from across the aisle, like the member for Malpeque and the member for York West. I have sat with these members and we have made these points to our American counterparts, Democratic counterparts, like Democratic Congressman Overstar, Democratic Congresswoman, Marcy Kaptur and Democratic Congresswoman Slaughter. We have built these relationships.

As well, I have had personal conversations with the President of the National Governor's Association, Democratic Governor Ed Rendell. We have built this relationship. We are working in a comprehensive fashion. Its a full corps press by the Canadian government. We have not been caught off guard, nor did we fail to act when it came to economics. We were the first government to act and we have seen governments around the world respond in kind since this government took action in November 2007.

I think that we have been acting--