Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2007-06-07 13:10:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Hon. Geoff Regan",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"688464\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, if that is in fact unparliamentary, and I was not aware it was frankly, then I will withdraw it.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688465\" data-originallang=\"en\">It is fair to say that the hon. members are clearly afraid of the <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">Prime Minister</a>. We have seen many bullying tactics in the House and on the Hill. These colleagues from Atlantic Canada have not found, unfortunately, the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">Prime Minister</a>. There is still third reading of the budget bill coming up shortly. I hope they will show that fortitude then.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688466\" data-originallang=\"en\">There are two things that everyone in Nova Scotia knows. The first is that the <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">Prime Minister</a> betrayed Atlantic Canada on budget day when he failed to honour a signed agreement between the Government of Canada and my province. It was a signed deal, a signed contract; I know, because I signed it.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688467\" data-originallang=\"en\">The second thing is that the hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"78900\" href=\"/politicians/peter-mackay/\" title=\"Peter MacKay\">Central Nova</a> and the hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"78823\" href=\"/politicians/gerald-keddy/\" title=\"Gerald Keddy\">South Shore\u2014St. Margaret's</a> had the chance to stand up for their province. They could have said, \u201cWait a minute, this is not right. One cannot just unilaterally tear up a written contract just because one does not like the region and wants to punish us\u201d. They could have said that. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688468\" data-originallang=\"en\">Those members could have done what the member for <a data-HoCid=\"78829\" href=\"/politicians/58/\" title=\"Bill Casey\">Cumberland\u2014Colchester\u2014Musquodoboit Valley</a> did, who showed he has a backbone. He stood up for his region and his province. Instead, sadly, they chose to support their misguided leader. Was it out of party loyalty? Was it out of fear? I do not know what the reason was, why they could not show more fortitude.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688469\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I know one thing, that voters in Nova Scotia and across Atlantic Canada will remember the lack of support those Conservative MPs from Atlantic Canada showed the region. When the next election is called and the members are out knocking on doors, I think they will hear about it. Voters will remember that the budget betrayal at the hands of the Conservatives may cost my province, for example, $1 billion for things that we need, such as better hospitals, schools, fixing roads and many other important investments. They will remember that those Conservative members of Parliament squandered a deal that gave Nova Scotia 100% of its offshore revenues with no clawback. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688470\" data-originallang=\"en\">It is exactly what those Conservative members promised when they sent out a brochure to Atlantic Canadians a few years ago, which said on its cover, \u201cThere is no greater fraud than a promise broken\u201d. They promised no clawbacks, 100%. That promise has been broken.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688471\" data-originallang=\"en\">The <a data-HoCid=\"78752\" href=\"/politicians/peter-mackay/\" title=\"Peter MacKay\">foreign affairs minister</a> said that the budget respected the accord. That has been his claim for months. Now he is saying that the decision of the member for <a data-HoCid=\"78829\" href=\"/politicians/58/\" title=\"Bill Casey\">Cumberland\u2014Colchester\u2014Musquodoboit Valley</a> was premature because he and others are still in talks over honouring the accord. Huh? How is it possible for one to have already honoured it but one is still in talks over honouring it? It seems to me it ought to be one or the other.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688472\" data-originallang=\"en\">The <a data-HoCid=\"78777\" href=\"/politicians/jim-flaherty/\" title=\"Jim Flaherty\">finance minister</a> and his Nova Scotia puppets over there tell us we should be happy that we are getting more in equalization this year. What a joke. What a farce. They should read the accord. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688473\" data-originallang=\"en\">That is why columnists in Atlantic Canada such as David Rodenhiser of the <em>Daily News</em> are so outraged. He said today:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"688474\" data-originallang=\"en\"> We have a government that lies to us, steals from us and aligns itself with a party bent on tearing the nation apart. These are not proud days for Canada. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"688475\" data-originallang=\"en\"> In fact, underneath his article there is a line which reads:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"688476\" data-originallang=\"en\"> David Rodenhiser thinks [the Prime Minister] has a phobia of accords: the Atlantic Accord, the Kyoto Accord, the Kelowna Accord. The man must be petrified when passing a Honda dealership. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"688477\" data-originallang=\"en\">When the <a data-HoCid=\"78777\" href=\"/politicians/jim-flaherty/\" title=\"Jim Flaherty\">finance minister</a> was Mike Harris's henchman in Toronto, he mocked Premier Hamm, saying that his campaign for fairness was like someone who won a lottery and still wanted to collect welfare. It seems the same meanspirited mentality prevails today. The hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"78900\" href=\"/politicians/peter-mackay/\" title=\"Peter MacKay\">Central Nova</a> and the hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"78823\" href=\"/politicians/gerald-keddy/\" title=\"Gerald Keddy\">South Shore\u2014St. Margaret's</a> have adopted it, unfortunately. That is very sad. It is frustrating. It is atrocious. They should be ashamed that the government has a petty, patronizing attitude toward Atlantic Canada. The next thing is they will say we have a culture of defeat.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"688464\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, si ce n\u2019est pas parlementaire, j\u2019avoue que je l\u2019ignorais et je vais retirer ce que j\u2019ai dit.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688465\" data-originallang=\"en\"> On peut dire que les d\u00e9put\u00e9s semblent bien avoir peur du <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">premier ministre</a>. Nous avons assist\u00e9 \u00e0 de nombreuses tactiques d\u2019intimidation \u00e0 la Chambre et sur la Colline. Ces coll\u00e8gues de la r\u00e9gion de l\u2019Atlantique n\u2019ont malheureusement pas trouv\u00e9 le courage de tenir t\u00eate au <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">premier ministre</a>. Le projet de loi sur le budget doit bient\u00f4t \u00eatre \u00e9tudi\u00e9 en troisi\u00e8me lecture. J\u2019esp\u00e8re qu\u2019ils feront alors preuve de courage.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688466\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Il y a deux choses que savent tous les citoyens de la Nouvelle-\u00c9cosse. La premi\u00e8re est que le <a data-HoCid=\"78738\" href=\"/politicians/stephen-harper/\" title=\"Stephen Harper\">premier ministre</a> a trahi la r\u00e9gion de l\u2019Atlantique le jour du budget lorsqu\u2019il n\u2019a pas honor\u00e9 l\u2019entente sign\u00e9e entre le gouvernement du Canada et ma province. Ce march\u00e9, ce contrat avait \u00e9t\u00e9 sign\u00e9. Je le sais, car je l\u2019ai sign\u00e9 moi-m\u00eame.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688467\" data-originallang=\"en\"> La deuxi\u00e8me chose est que le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"78900\" href=\"/politicians/peter-mackay/\" title=\"Peter MacKay\">Nova-Centre</a> et le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"78823\" href=\"/politicians/gerald-keddy/\" title=\"Gerald Keddy\">South Shore\u2014St. Margaret's</a> ont eu l\u2019occasion de d\u00e9fendre les int\u00e9r\u00eats de leur province. Ils auraient pu dire: \u00ab Attendez un instant, ce n\u2019est pas juste. On ne peut pas d\u00e9chirer unilat\u00e9ralement un contrat, simplement parce qu\u2019on n\u2019aime pas notre r\u00e9gion et qu\u2019on veut nous punir \u00bb. Voil\u00e0 ce qu\u2019ils auraient pu d\u00e9clarer.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688468\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Ces d\u00e9put\u00e9s auraient pu faire ce que le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"78829\" href=\"/politicians/58/\" title=\"Bill Casey\">Cumberland\u2014Colchester\u2014Musquodoboit Valley</a> a fait, montrant ainsi sa force de caract\u00e8re. Il a d\u00e9fendu sa r\u00e9gion et sa province. Malheureusement, ces autres d\u00e9put\u00e9s ont pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 soutenir leur chef qui est dans l\u2019erreur. \u00c9tait-ce par loyaut\u00e9 envers leur parti? \u00c9tait-ce par crainte? J\u2019ignore quelle en \u00e9tait la raison et pourquoi ils n\u2019ont pas fait preuve de plus de courage.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688469\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Je sais seulement que les \u00e9lecteurs de Nouvelle-\u00c9cosse et de la r\u00e9gion de l\u2019Atlantique se souviendront que ces d\u00e9put\u00e9s conservateurs n\u2019ont pas soutenu leur r\u00e9gion. Aux prochaines \u00e9lections, quand ces d\u00e9put\u00e9s iront frapper aux portes, je pense qu\u2019ils en entendront parler. Les \u00e9lecteurs se souviendront de cette trahison des conservateurs qui co\u00fbtera peut-\u00eatre \u00e0 ma province un milliard de dollards qui aurait pu servir \u00e0 financer des choses dont nous avons besoin comme de meilleurs h\u00f4pitaux, de meilleures \u00e9coles, de meilleures routes et un grand nombre d\u2019autres investissements importants. Ils se souviendront que ces d\u00e9put\u00e9s conservateurs ont rompu une entente qui accordait \u00e0 la Nouvelle-\u00c9cosse 100 p. 100 de ses revenus extrac\u00f4tiers, sans r\u00e9cup\u00e9ration.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688470\" data-originallang=\"en\"> C\u2019est exactement ce que ces d\u00e9put\u00e9s conservateurs avaient promis lorsqu\u2019ils ont envoy\u00e9, il y a quelques ann\u00e9es, aux Canadiens de l\u2019Atlantique, une brochure o\u00f9 on peut lire en couverture: \u00ab Il n\u2019y a pas pire tromperie qu\u2019une promesse non tenue \u00bb. Ils ont promis 100 p. 100 des revenus, sans r\u00e9cup\u00e9ration. Cette promesse a \u00e9t\u00e9 rompue.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688471\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le <a data-HoCid=\"78752\" href=\"/politicians/peter-mackay/\" title=\"Peter MacKay\">ministre des Affaires \u00e9trang\u00e8res</a> dit que le budget respecte l'accord. C'est ce qu'il pr\u00e9tend depuis des mois. Aujourd'hui, il dit que la d\u00e9cision du d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"78829\" href=\"/politicians/58/\" title=\"Bill Casey\">Cumberland\u2014Colchester\u2014Musquodoboit Valley</a> \u00e9tait pr\u00e9matur\u00e9e parce qu'il y a encore des pourparlers en vue de respecter l'accord. Quoi? Comment est-il possible d'avoir d\u00e9j\u00e0 respect\u00e9 l'accord tout en prenant part \u00e0 des pourparlers en vue de le respecter? Il me semble que c'est l'un ou l'autre.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688472\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le <a data-HoCid=\"78777\" href=\"/politicians/jim-flaherty/\" title=\"Jim Flaherty\">ministre des Finances</a> et ses marionnettes de la Nouvelle-\u00c9cosse, l\u00e0-bas, nous disent que nous devrions nous compter chanceux de recevoir davantage de p\u00e9r\u00e9quation cette ann\u00e9e. Quelle farce! Quelle bouffonnerie! Ils devraient lire l'accord.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"688473\" data-originallang=\"en\">Voil\u00e0 pourquoi des chroniqueurs de la r\u00e9gion atlantique, comme David Rodenhiser, du <em>Daily News</em>, sont en col\u00e8re. Voici ce qu'il a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 aujourd'hui:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"688474\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Notre gouvernement nous ment, nous vole et s'allie \u00e0 un parti qui est d\u00e9termin\u00e9 \u00e0 briser le pays. Le Canada n'a certainement pas de quoi \u00eatre fier par les temps qui courent. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"688475\" data-originallang=\"en\">En outre, sous l'article en question se trouve la boutade suivante:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"688476\" data-originallang=\"en\"> David Rodenhiser pense que [le premier ministre] a la phobie des accords: l'Accord atlantique, l'accord de Kyoto, l'accord de Kelowna. Il doit \u00eatre litt\u00e9ralement mort de peur lorsqu'il passe devant un concessionnaire Honda. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"688477\" data-originallang=\"en\">Quand le <a data-HoCid=\"78777\" href=\"/politicians/jim-flaherty/\" title=\"Jim Flaherty\">ministre des Finances</a> \u00e9tait l'acolyte de Mike Harris, \u00e0 Toronto, il se moquait du premier ministre Hamm en disant que, dans sa campagne pour l'\u00e9quit\u00e9, celui-ci ressemblait \u00e0 un type qui avait gagn\u00e9 la loterie, mais qui voulait toujours b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier de l'aide sociale. La m\u00eame mentalit\u00e9 empreinte de mesquinerie se manifeste aujourd'hui. Les d\u00e9put\u00e9s de <a data-HoCid=\"78900\" href=\"/politicians/peter-mackay/\" title=\"Peter MacKay\">Nova-Centre</a> et de <a data-HoCid=\"78823\" href=\"/politicians/gerald-keddy/\" title=\"Gerald Keddy\">South Shore\u2014St. Margaret's</a> ont malheureusement int\u00e9gr\u00e9 cette mentalit\u00e9. C'est bien triste. C'est frustrant et c'est ex\u00e9crable. Ils devraient avoir honte de l'attitude bassement paternaliste du gouvernement envers la r\u00e9gion atlantique. Bient\u00f4t, on les entendra dire aux gens de cette r\u00e9gion qu'ils ont une culture d\u00e9faitiste.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2007/6/7/geoff-regan-3/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/geoff-regan/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/1640/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2135707",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Business of Supply",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h3": {
        "en": "Opposition Motion--Equalization Program and Atlantic Accords",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2007/6/7/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2007%2F6%2F7%2F"
    }
}