Serge Cardin

[Budget Implementation Act, 2009, February 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in her speech, the hon. member referred to women and women's groups. She touched on the subject. Just now, she answered a question from a member from the NDP dealing more specifically with day care centres, and so on.

Given that she once was the president of an organization which, as it happens, works with women, could my hon. colleague expand on the subject, on what is included and what is missing in the budget in terms of pay equity? That has been a long-standing problem that we would like to see go away.

Basically, the only place at the federal level where there is pay equity is in this House. The Conservative government cannot dispute that fact, because women MPs earn the same as men MPs. I would like to hear my hon. colleague on that.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2009, February 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents sent me to Ottawa to represent their interests, and to tell the government and the Liberal Party what they should do.

We all know that there was a solution. The Bloc Québécois had given its blessing to the Liberals and the NDP to form a coalition. Now the Liberals have backed out. Why? For two reasons. The first is perhaps because the Leader of the Opposition knew that the Governor General would say no to a coalition government that was heavily influenced by all the recommendations made by the Bloc Québécois, the only party that made any recommendations to the government. Or else, or as well, there was a last-minute phone call. If the Governor General had accepted a coalition government with the Bloc Québécois' blessing, there were probably calls from Bay Street. That meant he had to back out. In order to have any credibility, he had to back out in order to continue or to begin receiving funding. This is strangely reminiscent of the former Liberal Party leader, who unfortunately capitulated to the Conservative government so many times that he also lost quite a bit of credibility during the election campaign.

To sum up, there is a new coalition, the federalist coalition, influenced, of course, by Bay Street.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2009, February 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, once upon a time there was an old grandmother who was devoured by a wolf. For his next meal, the wolf had his eye on Little Red Riding Hood. The member sees that wolf almost every morning when he shaves. The Conservative ideology truly makes me think of that and the story of Little Red Riding Hood. As for Little Red Riding Hood, the member even agreed that the Liberal Party felt overwhelmed and did not want to go into an election and therefore agreed to let the wolf have his way. Those who remember the story know that someone eventually came to rescue the poor grandmother.

We in turn would like to rescue the Quebec economy. We feel that the measures proposed by the Conservative government are inadequate. The government thought it saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but it turned out to be the oncoming train that broadsided it. The economy is not recovering; rather, it is continuing to decline.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2009, February 9th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to address the House, technically a second time on the budget, since we are debating the implementation bill.

First of all, I would like to say that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Terrebonne—Blainville. I therefore have only 10 minutes to convince the Liberals, and perhaps a few Conservatives from Quebec, that the budget is less than perfect.

It is clear—and it always has been—in Conservative philosophy that taxes must be lowered and spending must be cut—often essential spending—and after that, everything will be fine. That is the game and that has been the Conservative way since the dawn of time.

However, when a Conservative government—especially this one—faces an economic crisis, it no longer has any idea what to do. The Conservatives completely lacked vision. They were unable to predict this economic crisis and they failed to implement the necessary strategies at the right time. Of course this means assistance to manufacturers, to the softwood lumber sector, to older workers who lose their jobs and to all unemployed workers.

So, in an economic crisis, action is essential. Policies to be implemented must be effective the next day. There was a certain casualness preventing those who were penalized yesterday from benefiting right away. No time must be wasted in stimulating the economy. There is clearly an infrastructure program, but it has been talked about for years and was not implemented as thoroughly as it should have been. So, who is ready tomorrow to break out the whole arsenal of equipment in order to start work on infrastructure? Plans and specifications have to be drawn up, submissions made. That slows things down. Even if the municipalities were prepared to speed up their investment, would labour be available? This is something that was needed, but the timing needs work. To jump start the economy, this might not have been the first priority.

You know that after the October 14 election—what I would call a huge consultation—the Conservatives decided to present a throne speech and an economic statement, which nearly bowled the opposition over. The Prime Minister knowingly confronted the opposition, and what had to happen, happened. Afraid of losing power, naturally, he sought to have the House prorogued. That led to more months of waiting and inaction.

The Prime Minister returned with his budget, but it remains clearly a Conservative budget. It has a slightly red cast, because the wicked wolf had his eye on Little Red Riding Hood. And Little Red Riding Hood decided that, since it was a reddish budget, it was acceptable, even though, since then, the Liberals have been speaking against most of the measures.

We heard a speaker from the Liberal Party say there were some fairly positive things regarding employment insurance. It cannot be said that there is nothing. The Liberals are leaving themselves some manoeuvring room in order to support the budget.

Let us take a closer look at employment insurance. Perhaps 90% or 99% of the elements are missing from this reform or from the investments in employment insurance, but they find one point of interest and latch onto that.

In short, there was nothing in terms of employment insurance to help people who lose their jobs and who need it immediately. In addition to meeting an everyday need, it also provides a minimal stimulus. Given the number of jobs lost since the Conservatives arrived—over 80,000 in Quebec alone—it might have had a significant impact.

There are some major oversights in this budget, such as the environment. Many organizations have complained that the budget included next to nothing to bring about improvements with respect to greenhouse gases. Even the ecoAuto program was not renewed. Under sustainable development, not-for-profit economic organizations were abandoned. Under culture, the government did nothing more for artists. Under education, which we know is so important, transfers were not increased even though education has such a major influence, if not in the short, then certainly in the medium term.

The budget also ignored the guaranteed income supplement for the poorest seniors despite these tough economic times. There is no plan for older workers, most of whom cannot retrain. The manufacturing and forestry industries were also left out. Other oversights include struggling businesses, women and women's groups, international aid recipients, and social housing for families.

There is also some serious encroachment, beginning with the federal government's intention to interfere with Quebec's jurisdiction over securities. The budget also proposes going over the Government of Quebec's head and making direct loans to municipalities. Under education, the government is putting up $50 million over two years for its foreign credential recognition initiative.

I want to spend a little more time talking about some issues, such as employment insurance. As the Liberal member just said, employment insurance benefits have been extended by five weeks. Another relatively dangerous proposal, in my opinion, is rate setting. In its Canada Employment Insurance Financing Board Act, the government gave the board the authority to set rates. Now, however, the government is doing this itself, which rules out adding anything to employment insurance to help people who lose their jobs.

The Bloc Québécois made some brilliant suggestions, and so have others. We suggested the waiting period, reducing the number of hours required to 360, and certain eligibility criteria because, in many cases, people are not even entitled to benefits. Adding five weeks will not help people in the short term. We also wanted the government to increase the rate from 55% to 60%.

What about seniors? Did the Conservatives bother to include them in their October 14 consultation? I will quickly read a press release about the federal budget issued by the president of the Sherbrooke AQDR:

“The president of the Sherbrooke AQDR, Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées, Ms. Thérèse St-Cyr, believes that the federal budget ignores seniors. In fact, the throne speech refers once to seniors when indicating that the budget will take into account the needs of the most vulnerable. The budget refers to seniors three times. The first time is in relation to tax relief which, according to our calculations, will total between $100 and $300 per year per person, depending on income. Seniors are referred to a second time in connection with social housing. We estimate that 75 social housing units for seniors will be renewed in the next two years in the Eastern Townships. This is quite inadequate given that the needs are far greater. Finally, the budget refers to older workers affected by plant closures and job losses. Amounts will be allocated for training. These are good intentions but will not provide income. In light of this information, we declare that the federal budget ignores seniors.”

With regard to social housing, if Sherbrooke's seniors are only entitled to 75 social housing units, just imagine what they will get from the rest of the budget . Even though the government has allocated money for housing, it is seriously inadequate. It means that there is no social housing for others in the Eastern Townships.

Therefore, the government has abandoned the most vulnerable, the most disadvantaged. It would have helped a great deal if—

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on his first speech in the House of Commons since being elected. He did a very good job.

Earlier, the Conservative Party member said that the government had done some behind-the-scenes work. That is not surprising; it seems to come naturally. But the government might end up having one put over on it. Even if Mr. Obama says that he will soften the impact by complying with WTO rules, we know that there are loopholes in NAFTA and the WTO rules that would allow him to continue applying protectionist measures. It would be better to rely on direct diplomacy and avoid backroom deals than to end up before the courts.

My colleague had only a few seconds to touch on the Bloc Québécois' proposals for promoting international trade between Quebec and the rest of the world. I would like a little more information about that.

[Nad Klima, February 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this past Friday I was thrilled to attend the opening of a company in Sherbrooke, Nad Klima. Nad Klima is the outcome of an alliance between German technology and Sherbrooke know-how and has already carved a place for itself as a leader among air conditioning, heating and ventilation companies. Their innovative high induction air diffusers provide an unequalled level of comfort coupled with substantial energy savings.

The opening of this new plant will create 50 direct jobs and another 50 indirect ones for Sherbrooke. Fortunately, unlike the Conservative government, there are business leaders who grasp the idea that the words economy and Kyoto go together to ensure sustainable economic development.

My best wishes to Daniel Lauzon, president of Nad Klima, and to everyone on his team.

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate my colleague, the international trade critic for the Liberal Party. I had wondered why the Liberals were going ahead with their motion, because Mr. Obama had announced that the United States would comply with WTO rules and international standards. But I soon realized that the motion was still relevant because it says that “this House calls upon the Government to intervene forthwith and persistently” and urge the United States to respect the trade agreements between it and Canada, the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization. The Liberals realized that Canada might have to go to court, whereas now we can take diplomatic action. We saw this in the softwood lumber sector. The Liberal and Conservative governments went through that. Time is of the essence, and the government must take strong action.

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, this feels like Groundhog Day. My hon. colleague has raised this question many times. I fully respect the member, but he must be fair and honest. He knows very well that the Bloc Québécois supports economic development, but not to the detriment of people's rights, the rights of unions, or the environment. He knows that. Ideally, our aim and what we work for is ensuring—

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. We have said it before and will say it again—the economic situation is an emergency in itself. Specific measures must be taken to resolve the problem or mitigate it in the short term in order to resolve it in more global terms in the coming years.

The Conservative government is not implementing the right policies to respond to an emergency and revive Canada's economy tomorrow. It is not responding to it at all, and neither is its budget. Right now, times are tough—if I can put it that way—and the American government is telling us it wants to add a protectionist flavour to our relations and even to its international relations. As I said earlier, this is not going to be resolved before the tribunals, but, rather, diplomatically, through discussions with the full Senate and House. They must talk in order to make the United States understand the potential repercussions of their implementing a protectionist measure that will spread like a disease around the world, as everyone tries to protect their own assets. It is legitimate and human nature in such circumstances and conditions to want to protect oneself and one's interests. However, somewhere along the way, it creates disasters of far greater proportions.

In terms of human rights, it is clear. Obama has said he would not sign an agreement with Colombia. The Conservative government persists in its efforts to sign an agreement with Colombia. It has been signed, but not ratified, because there is a vigilant committee. The representative of the Liberal Party will be on hand to explain fully what needs protecting in the context of a vision for the planet as a whole, that is, respect for the rights of individuals, unions and the environment.

As for China, it must unfortunately also be called to order in the context of developing international trade. I believe the international community is increasingly sensitive to these issues and must, in the near future, incorporate them into international policies on trade.

[Business of Supply, February 5th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Conservative member for his question.

He has referred to the free trade agreements, particularly those with Colombia and the European Free Trade Association. The hon. member has, moreover, no doubt heard my references to more humane globalization and more humane criteria, such as the protection of human rights, of jobs, of labour unions or of the environment. That is not what is happening in Colombia. President Obama has, moreover, indicated that he would not sign a free trade agreement with Colombia. For the Conservative government, however, it is a matter of a mad rush to see who can sign the most bilateral free trade agreements. As I said in my speech, what we favour is multilateral agreements. All countries need to be on the same track and defending the same causes.

As for the agreement with the European Free Trade Association, which has been discussed this week and will be discussed further in committee, I must emphasize that we support it. However, we have mentioned two important points: supply management and a shipbuilding industry policy. Even though a free trade agreement is favourable to Quebec generally speaking, these two elements remain irritants and the government needs to give some thought to dealing with them.

In the current context, I repeat, there are some 200 countries on this planet all trying to sign bilateral free trade agreements with other countries. Everyone will have free trade agreements. Often, when entering into such an agreement, to get certain things, one must give something as well. Bilateral agreements now contain a little clause indicating that, if ever the country with which one is signing an agreement signs a more advantageous one with another country, ours will have to be adjusted as well.

It can be seen, therefore, that efforts are being made, not always bad ones, but overall we do of course support the multilateral approach. We want to be sure the WTO works properly. If there is some reluctance as far as the WTO is concerned at present, it is because there is one matter that must be excluded from it. Culture has been excluded, and the food supply must be also, in order to protect food sovereignty and safety in these programs.