Debates of Oct. 25th, 1994
House of Commons Hansard #113 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was year.
Topics
- Government Response To Petitions
- International Joint Commission
- Great Lakes
- Interparliamentary Delegations
- Committees Of The House
- World Trade Organization Agreement Implementation Act
- Committees Of The House
- Petitions
- Questions On The Order Paper
- Supply
- Infrastructure Program
- United Nations
- Reform Party
- American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
- Status Of Women
- Breast Health Awareness Month
- Collège Militaire Royal De Saint-Jean
- Parliamentary Reform
- Confectionery Manufacturers Association
- Small Business In Quebec
- Pipelines
- Bloc Quebecois
- Liberal Party
- Infrastructure Program
- Liberal Party
- National Parks
- Communications Security Establishment
- The Economy
- Job Creation
- Immigration
- Taxation
- Infrastructure Program
- Social Programs
- Firearms
- Committees Of The House
- Manpower Training
- The Economy
- Technology
- Copyright
- Justice
- Human Rights
- Bill C-91
- Points Of Order
- Supply
- Committee Of The House
- Supply
- Bankruptcy Act
Liberal Party
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Reform
Jim Silye Calgary Centre, AB
Therefore, should the Liberal government not listen more to Reformers' suggestions?
Liberal Party
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Some hon. members
Yes.
Liberal Party
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Some hon. members
No.
Liberal Party
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Reform
Jim Silye Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of the government, the current national debt clock is $535,664,978-
Liberal Party
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
The Speaker
I think we got into the question and answer period a little bit early.
Liberal Party
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
NDP
John Solomon Regina—Lumsden, SK
Mr. Speaker, on this important date, Canadians have a right to ask: Is today
the first anniversary of the Liberal government or is it really the tenth anniversary of the Mulroney Conservative government?
Why? The Tory Prime Minister put his friends in the Senate. The Liberal Prime Minister is putting his friends in the Senate. The Tories ran an annual deficit of $40 billion a year. The Liberals, the same deal. The wealthy friends of the Conservatives received tax breaks through family trusts. The wealthy friends of the Liberals receive the same deal. Tens of thousands of profitable corporations paid no profit tax but found lots of cash to give to the Tory Party and to the Liberal Party.
Under the Tories, prescription drug prices have risen 12 per cent. Under Liberals they have risen 12 per cent. The Tories cut UI benefits. The Liberals have cut deeper the UI benefits. Liberals, Tories, same old stories. Mr. Speaker, can you see the difference? I cannot.
Infrastructure Program
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
David Iftody Provencher, MB
Mr. Speaker, to the Prime Minister and my hon. colleagues, one year ago today we were elected to serve Canadians.
During this year the federal government has kept its promise of good government. One of the red book promises, the infrastructure program, has paved the way to considerable investment and job creation in my riding of Provencher.
This year I have been to Pine Falls, Steinbach, St. Agathe, St. Malo and Emerson in my riding, to name a few of the 40 communities I serve. Throughout this time the people of Provencher, even those people who did not support us, have had many good things to say about our government and our Prime Minister.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the good people of Provencher for their support. I look forward to seeing and serving them again in the upcoming year.
Liberal Party
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
Nick Discepola Vaudreuil, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in this House to mark the first anniversary of the Liberal government. The year has been filled with many important achievements.
There is not enough time to list all the initiatives of this government, particularly in Quebec. More than 20,000 jobs were created, thanks to the national infrastructure program. The Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Co-operation in North America was also set up in Montreal. The issue of cigarette smuggling and the future of the military college in Saint-Jean were settled in a matter of months. Those are just a few of this government's achievements.
I especially want to congratulate our Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien. Thanks to his leadership and integrity, Canadians are regaining confidence. I also wish to thank my family for its patience and support. Hon. members are all aware of the sacrifices made by their spouses and children so that they can have the honour of serving this great country of ours.
National Parks
Statements By Members
October 25th, 1994 / 2:15 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
Elsie Wayne Saint John, NB
Mr. Speaker, I do not know if I am supposed to thank the people in Saint John for my being here or not. Anyway I am here.
Recently it was brought to the attention of the House that the federal government plans to switch admission fees on entrances to Canada's national parks from vehicles to individuals. That means if there are five individuals in a car each one will have to pay to enter the national park. The fact is that these new user fees can actually be viewed as nothing more than a deceptive tax increase.
The Liberal government should change course from proposed fee hikes and adopt a straight shooting approach to cutting the deficit, not the sneaky little approach of back door tax increases.
The premier of the province of New Brunswick has quietly increased over 1,000 different fees and taxes since 1987. The people of New Brunswick have caught on. I urge the government to learn from others and reverse this new tax on admissions to our national parks.
Communications Security Establishment
Oral Question Period
2:15 p.m.
Lac-Saint-Jean
Québec
Bloc
Lucien Bouchard Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Official Opposition asked the government many questions about the illegal espionage activities attributed to the CSE in recent revelations on the CBC and from former spy Mike Frost. The government systematically hides behind the CSE's obligation to obey the law.
Does the Deputy Prime Minister not admit that no law prevents a foreign power from intercepting telephone calls from Canada and that no law then prevents the CSE from picking up the information thus collected, so that the CSE can legally do indirectly what it cannot do directly?
Communications Security Establishment
Oral Question Period
2:15 p.m.
Don Valley East
Ontario
Liberal
David Collenette Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister have already
said, I must assure the House that the CSE is not authorized to target Canadians, including political parties.
With respect to the specific aspect of the hon. member's question, we do not believe it is in the national interest to talk about the administration and the methods employed by CSE.
Communications Security Establishment
Oral Question Period
2:15 p.m.
Lac-Saint-Jean
Québec
Bloc
Lucien Bouchard Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, things are becoming more confused instead of clearer. The minister refuses to confirm that foreign governments spy for Canada and in the same breath, he says that the CSE does not spy on Canadians. So how can the minister explain that the CSE has a large data bank with information on thousands of Canadians?
Communications Security Establishment
Oral Question Period
2:15 p.m.
Don Valley East
Ontario
Liberal
David Collenette Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, we have said a number of times that the Privacy Act has to be obeyed by all Canadian agencies and that includes the CSE.
The databank at the CSE is exempt from the provisions of the Privacy Act. That does not obviate the fact that all activities of the Communications Security Establishment follow the law explicitly. This has been affirmed by the former privacy commissioner, Mr. John Grace.
At the present time the privacy commissioner is conducting an ongoing audit to update him and his agency with respect to the activities of that particular organization as it applies to the Privacy Act.
Communications Security Establishment
Oral Question Period
2:15 p.m.
Lac-Saint-Jean
Québec
Bloc
Lucien Bouchard Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, I did hear the minister say that an audit is under way in the CSE to determine what the CSE did in recent years. If I understood the answer correctly, I would like the minister to confirm it for me and to tell us at the same time when this audit report will be released in the House of Commons?
Communications Security Establishment
Oral Question Period
2:20 p.m.
Don Valley East
Ontario
Liberal
David Collenette Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I believe the privacy commissioner is an officer of the House or reports through the statute to the House of Commons. There was an audit done by the former privacy commissioner. It is done every number of years.
There is one that is ongoing. In the fullness of time I assume the present privacy commissioner will have the same opinion the former privacy commissioner, Mr. Grace, had which is that the operations of the CSE fully conform to the privacy act.