Laurie Hawn

[Afghanistan, March 2nd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the success of our mission in Afghanistan cannot be secured by military means alone. That is why we have adopted a whole-of-government approach. Between now and 2011, our priorities include training and coaching the Afghan national security forces. With well-led, well-trained, well-equipped Afghan national security forces, the Government of Afghanistan will be able to take on a larger share of the job of maintaining its own security. When the military mission ends in 2011, the Government of Canada will maintain a presence in Afghanistan to develop governance.

[National Defence, February 27th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as a former CF-18 pilot, I am well aware of Russian tactics.

Canada will continue to defend its sovereignty on land, on the sea and in the air. The Russians never entered Canadian airspace. Our fighter pilots met them and turned them around.

As a proud partner in Norad, we have stood up to Russians and others in the defence of North America with our allies, the United States, for over 50 years. The House and Canadians can be assured that we will continue to defend our sovereignty.

As I might have said personally to the Russians a number of years ago:

[Member spoke in Russian]

[Business of Supply, February 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague keeps talking about municipalities not being able to match funds and she is right. Some municipalities will not be able to or will find it difficult to match funds. However, Toronto, for example, went to bed with $190 million in its budget last year, so some municipalities do have money in the bank. For those that do not, we have a $2 billion credit facility from which they can borrow. As soon as they send in the bill for their project, the money will be paid. If that does not work for them, we have agreed with the provinces that we will go fifty-fifty, province and federal, for projects like that.

For the member to say, cart blanche, that municipalities just do not have the money to participate is wrong, in my view, and I would like the member's comments on that.

[Business of Supply, February 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Nipissing—Timiskaming for his remarks. One of the things we have heard a lot from across the floor is the per capita sum of the gas tax. If we did per capita by municipality, and I do not know how many thousands of municipalities there are in Canada, it does get diluted. As I pointed out earlier, just because a project goes to one municipality, it does not mean the jobs all go to the people in that municipality. It does not mean the benefit goes just to the people in that municipality; it goes to everyone in that region.

It is a bit fallacious. If we are going to follow that per capita idea, we might as well divide up the money and send everyone a cheque and nothing would get done. We need to put common sense in this.

What the member says has some reasonable aspects to it, but it is not the most practical way to go. I would remind him there is a $2 billion credit facility to borrow from. For municipalities that do not have the money to get the project done, they submit the bill, get the money, and pay it back. It is a great process. As soon as the budget bill is passed, we can get on with it. I would like the member's comments on some of those aspects.

[Business of Supply, February 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's intervention.

I want to carry on in a slightly different vein from where the member for Abbotsford left off.

We talked about where money goes in a particular riding that may have been held by an MP from a particular party. The simple fact is that when money goes into a particular riding for a project, it is not just people in that riding who get the jobs. It is not just people in that riding who enjoy the facility. I will give two examples.

In Edmonton, the member for Edmonton—Strathcona is a member of the New Democratic Party. The Northlands exhibition facility is in my riding. I can guarantee that the people of Edmonton--Strathcona use that facility and that people from Edmonton--Strathcona will be employed in the expansion of that facility.

Another example is Ipsco Place in Regina. The member for Wascana was complaining the other day that the money was spent outside his riding. It is 3.93 miles from his riding. I guarantee that people from Wascana will use that facility and I guarantee that people from Wascana will be employed in that construction.

With respect to the municipalities and their ability to raise funds, we have a $2 billion credit capacity. They can borrow on that. When they present the bill, it is paid.

Toronto underspent its municipal budget by $190 million last year--

[Centenary of Powered Flight in Canada, February 23rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago today at Baddeck, Nova Scotia, J.A.D. McCurdy slipped the surly bonds of earth in powered flight for the first time in Canada and the British Empire. The Silver Dart flew 800 metres at a dizzying height of 10 metres and the blistering speed of 64 kilometres per hour. That event was the first of countless achievements by Canadian aviators and industry.

Across Canada this year, we celebrate Billy Bishop's courage of the early morning; our pioneering bush pilots; the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan; the companies that built Hurricanes and Halifaxes; Buzz Beurling over Malta; the 10,000 Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice in bomber command; Canadian Sabre pilots over the Yalu River; the world's first jet airliner; the ahead-of-its-time Avro Arrow; the Canadarm; our astronauts, including our own space sailor from Westmount—Ville-Marie; modern-day military and civilian aviators; and all the people who have supported those who danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.

As one who has joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, I am very proud to salute all those Canadians over the past century who have trod the high, untrespassed sanctity of space, put out their hands and touched the face of God.

Per ardua ad astra.

[Afghanistan, February 6th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, alliance members, including Canada, decided at the NATO defence minister's meeting in Budapest that ISAF may carry out direct operations against the narcotics industry which could include destruction of narcotics production facilities and the apprehension of drug traffickers supporting the insurgency.

Canada welcomes NATO's decision on countering narcotics. That being said, countering narcotics has not been identified as one of Canada's priorities in Afghanistan. However, let us be clear. There is a direct connection between the illicit drug trade and insurgent activity. That insurgent activity kills and wounds Canadian soldiers and Afghan civilians.

All Canadian Forces operations are carried out in accordance with our legal international obligations.

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we support this motion, and why would we not? It is what we have been doing all along. I would like to make a couple of observations and solicit my colleague's comments on them.

As I said, we have been doing what the motion suggests all along, long before the Liberals brought it up in the House. What is troubling to me is the political convenience, and that is all it is, of misleading statements being made by members on the other side on their imaginary issue that we have been doing nothing. These statements are misleading the House and misleading Canadians. We have been doing an awful lot and my colleague brought it up in his speech.

We have had a strong relationship with the United States for many years and that will continue regardless of who is in the White House, and regardless of political stripe. That has not changed and it is not going to change. The political convenience of those comments is very misleading.

Earlier, the government House leader mentioned how we need to try to do a better job with respect to cooperation in the House and so on, and we are. Then we hear comments from the member for Vancouver Centre, which frankly are just tiresome twaddle and partisan prattle. It does not serve the purpose of cooperation in the House and does not serve the purpose of taking a worthy motion, and moving it forward like we should be doing.

[The Environment, February 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, an advisory committee was created in 2001 to facilitate communication among the numerous parties concerned, including the citizens and representatives of the federal, provincial and municipal governments. The results, once analyzed, are communicated regularly to the City of Quebec and the municipality of Shannon. The Department of National Defence has been working closely with all stakeholders from the beginning, and it will continue to do so.

[The Environment, February 3rd, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the report in question was not completed until the end of December 2008. Naturally, we would like to take some time to review the report's conclusions. Those conclusions will be communicated to all stakeholders, including the City of Quebec and the Province of Quebec. Since the report relies on information from third parties, they must be consulted before the report can be made public.