Hon. Lawrence Cannon (Minister of Foreign Affairs, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, I thought the Leader of the Bloc Québécois would take the opportunity to congratulate the government on having reached an agreement with the Government of Quebec on royalties for oil and gas deposits in the years to come, which will create thousands of jobs in Quebec. I obviously expect his congratulations.

Mr. Gilles Duceppe (Laurier—Sainte-Marie, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, the minister could have answered the question. What Ottawa has just done, it did many years ago for the Atlantic provinces.

While the Minister of National Defence goes around boasting about the subsea electric cable, which will be funded with Quebec taxpayers' money, the Conservative members from Quebec are not saying a word. Quebec did not receive a single cent from the federal government for putting its hydroelectric network in place.

Does the Prime Minister realize that, by funding this subsea cable, he would be funding Hydro-Québec's competitors? That would be unfair to Quebec.

Hon. Lawrence Cannon (Minister of Foreign Affairs, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, I can say to my hon. Bloc Québécois colleague that the members of the Conservative Party are standing up for Quebec. Contrary to the Bloc's claims, they will ensure that Quebec taxpayers receive the same treatment as taxpayers in the west, in the east and all across Canada. We will support Quebec's claims.

Ms. Paule Brunelle (Trois-Rivières, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, in order to take over a larger share of the Old Harry deposit, Newfoundland and Labrador is refusing to recognize the validity of the agreement between Quebec and the Atlantic provinces concerning their borders in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Newfoundland and Labrador claims the agreement is invalid because it has not been ratified by the federal government.

Since the government says it is at the regulatory stage, will it immediately ratify the 1964 agreement so that Quebec can have full jurisdiction over its territory, rather than again favouring Newfoundland and Labrador?

Hon. Lawrence Cannon (Minister of Foreign Affairs, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, this is yet another demonstration of the Bloc’s inability to accomplish anything. By forcing a pointless election, the Bloc Québécois is causing the delay of a number of projects and a number of agreements that are important to Quebec. Here is the question of the Old Harry deposit today. It was settled by my colleague, the Minister of Natural Resources, and the Government of Quebec. It is tangible proof of what our party can accomplish for Quebeckers.

Ms. Paule Brunelle (Trois-Rivières, BQ)

Mr. Speaker, Quebec has imposed a moratorium until 2012 on the exploration and development of hydrocarbon deposits in the St. Lawrence, while awaiting the results of environmental evaluations.

In the name of the precautionary principle, will the Conservative government ask Newfoundland and Labrador for a moratorium on the exploration and development of oil and gas deposits in the St. Lawrence until serious environmental studies can be conducted?

Hon. Lawrence Cannon (Minister of Foreign Affairs, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, it was the Government of Quebec that decided to impose a moratorium over the next two years on the development of hydrocarbon deposits in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

I thought the Bloc Québécois was in tune with the Government of Quebec and had its support, but that does not seem to be the case. Once again, the Bloc is out of the loop when it comes to decisions made by the federal government and the Government of Quebec.

Hon. Jack Layton (Toronto—Danforth, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, the New Democrats put forward affordable, practical, reasonable solutions to take the pressure off family budgets, practical solutions that would have given middle-class families a break as they still struggle to come out of this recession, such as strengthening the CPP, taking the federal tax off home heating and taking action to actually hire more doctors and nurses.

Why has the Prime Minister refused to show some leadership by working together? Why is he rejecting getting results and instead choosing to provoke an election?

Hon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, that suggestion is absolutely outrageous.

We brought forward a budget designed to have low taxes and to create jobs and economic opportunity, a budget that provided support for the most vulnerable seniors by increasing support for the guaranteed income supplement to the men and women who helped build our country and needed a bit of extra help. We increased transfers to health by 6%.

Why will the NDP members never stand and support good measures that help health care and Canadian seniors who are vulnerable? Why will they not do the right thing and support a great budget from an even better Minister of Finance?

Hon. Jack Layton (Toronto—Danforth, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, the NDP is always prepared to work with the other parties to get results, and the Prime Minister knows that. I worked with him when we were both in opposition. We signed a number of letters together. Since he became Prime Minister, it has been more difficult, but we managed to get $1 billion for the unemployed over a year ago, as well as apologies for the residential schools. We have proven that we are able to work together.

Why does the Prime Minister now refuse to work with others?

Hon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, there were a good number of consultations with Canadians from coast to coast to coast. The Minister of Finance and ministers and members of Parliament from right across the country did a lot of listening. We responded with a balanced package focused on jobs and opportunity and on helping the most vulnerable seniors, through increasing support for the guaranteed income supplement.

The NDP wants a coalition with the Liberals, and that should be absolutely outrageous. The real concern that Canadians have is the NDP might get more seats than the Liberals and the leader of the NDP could end up as prime minister of a risky, unstable minority government.

Hon. Jack Layton (Toronto—Danforth, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, I feel a draft coming from the other side.

New Democrats understand that getting results for people is job one and that is why more and more people are putting their trust in the NDP.

Let us recall that even Paul Martin, the Liberals' corporate tax cutter in chief, also with scandals hanging over his head, was willing to work with others. New Democrats negotiated a budget amendment for $4.6 billion for Canadians' priorities like transit, housing, and education.

It can be done, but the Conservatives refuse to do it. Why are they refusing to amend their budget?

Hon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, if we wanted to take advice on how to run an economy and how to run a federal government, we certainly would not take it from Paul Martin.

Less than four months after meeting in a Toronto hotel room with the leader of the NDP, walking out with $5 billion in his pockets, he voted to turf the scandal-plagued Liberal government out of power.

The real scandal is the Liberals want to work with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP to force a coalition government on Canadians, a government that they did not vote for, a government about which they will not be honest and transparent in telling Canadians. That is not in the interest of Canadians. That is wrong for Canada.

Hon. Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, Bill S-11 is the Conservative plan that would grant power to the Indian Affairs minister to impose drinking water systems on first nations bands. Bruce Carson was responsible in the PMO for aboriginal policy and, as legislative director, he helped develop Bill S-11.

Could the government confirm that the bill was key to his plan to skim off his $80 million share of the $1.6 billion pot of money that was destined to help desperate aboriginal communities?

Hon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, that is absolutely outrageous.

The Liberals are showing absolute contempt for Canadian voters. Normally in Canada the winner of the election gets to form a government, but not with the Liberals. They have such contempt for the Canadian electorate that they want to form a risky, unstable government with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP. They do not have the courage to be open and transparent with Canadians.

Rather than spend $400 million on an unnecessary election, let us focus and put that money to work for Canadian seniors who desperately need our help through the guaranteed income supplement.

Hon. Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, this is about the Prime Minister's judgment.

How does a man like that get put in charge of drafting government legislation? How does a disbarred lawyer, who served time in jail and was being chased by Revenue Canada, get the highest security clearance? Why did all of those ministers or their officials meet with him when they knew Bruce Carson was banned from lobbying?

We now learn that his son, Craig Carson, was a senior ministerial adviser to Jim Prentice and even to the current House leader. Did he have any role in setting up these—

The Speaker

Order, please. The hon. government House leader.

Hon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, it is more slander, more smear from the Liberal Party.

The Liberals are bankrupt of ideas. They have nothing to show Canadians on jobs, the economy and economic growth.

We have a low tax plan to help create jobs. We have a budget before the House that will support the most vulnerable seniors by increasing the guaranteed income supplement.

What we have is a Liberal Party that has contempt for the Canadian electorate. It wants to force an unnecessary election rather than do the right thing and help Canadian seniors.

Ms. Raymonde Folco (Laval—Les Îles, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, Bill S-11 would give the Conservatives the power to impose their solution for drinking water on the first nations. Telling the first nations that they are not competent to make that decision for themselves is insulting enough. Through this scheme, Mr. Carson's fiancée allegedly pocketed $80 million in commissions for selling water filtration systems.

Are they not ashamed of profiting from the misfortune of the first nations?

Hon. John Baird (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, CPC)

Mr. Speaker, not one single dollar went to that company, not a single dollar. If the Liberal Party has any evidence of that, I would encourage it to table it before the House.

The reality is the Liberal Party is making it up as it goes along. It will not be honest and transparent with Canadians about its plan for a coalition government with the Bloc Québécois and the NDP. This would be unstable and would cause great damage to our country.

There is a great Canadian tradition that the person with the most votes wins. That should apply to Canadian democracy. The Liberals should stop their contempt for the Canadian electorate.