Debates of Oct. 30th, 1997
House of Commons Hansard #24 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was driving.
Topics
- Drinking Water Materials Safety Act
- Canada Shipping Act
- Criminal Code
- Telecommunications Act
- Customs Act
- Members Of Parliament Retiring Allowances Act
- Questions On The Order Paper
- Supply
- Emergency Personnel
- Firearms
- Child Labour
- Second Anniversary Of Quebec Referendum
- Population And Development
- Tamara Okeynan
- Brockville Rowing Club
- René Lévesque
- Bloc Quebecois
- Reform Party Of Canada
- Fonorola
- Pay Equity
- Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier
- Seniors
- Miramichi
- Drunk Drivers
- The Environment
- Taxation
- The Environment
- Multilateral Agreement On Investment
- The Environment
- Tobacco Legislation
- The Environment
- Airbus
- Foreign Affairs
- China
- Tobacco Legislation
- Medical Research
- Airports
- Trade
- Fisheries
- Human Resources Development
- Fisheries
- Public Service
- Health
- Ports
- National Defence
- Agriculture
- Youth Programs
- Trade
- Environment
- Presence In Gallery
- Business Of The House
- Points Of Order
- Business Of The House
- Supply
- Newfoundland Unemployment
Foreign Affairs
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Bloc
Daniel Turp Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.
According to the human resources manual of the Department of Foreign Affairs, no employee of the department may grant interviews or deliver speeches on controversial matters, without prior approval.
Who in the government gave Ambassador Jacques Roy authority to tour Quebec with the Council on Canadian Unity promoting national unity?
Foreign Affairs
Oral Question Period
2:30 p.m.
Winnipeg South Centre
Manitoba
Liberal
Lloyd Axworthy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, it is a general practice that we are able to invite our ambassadors abroad to come to Canada to explain all the initiatives, all the work and all the accomplishments of Canada to demonstrate what an extremely valuable country we have and what kind of contribution we can make to the world.
Foreign Affairs
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Bloc
Daniel Turp Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, how does the government explain the fact that, despite the provision in this manual that neutrality in the public service is primordial and all employees have a direct interest in maintaining it, Jacques Roy is directly involved in the political fight in Canada and Quebec?
Foreign Affairs
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Saint-Maurice
Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I cannot help but answer this question, because not so very long ago agents general of the Quebec government who refused to swear an oath to the cause were asked to leave their position.
The Parti Quebecois and the Bloc Quebecois can teach us nothing we do not already know.
China
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Reform
Keith Martin Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Mr. Speaker, torture and the jailing of political dissidents are still occurring in the shadows of Tiananmen Square. Yesterday the President of the United States bluntly made it very clear to President Jiang Zemin that they were absolutely appalled with the human rights abuses in China.
What message and when is the Prime Minister going to bluntly say to the regime in China that Canadians are appalled by the human rights abuses which are occurring now?
China
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Winnipeg South Centre
Manitoba
Liberal
Lloyd Axworthy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member may be aware that we have negotiated a direct agreement with the Chinese government to deal specifically on human rights abuses. Under that agreement we have had two major sessions of dialogue with the Chinese wherein we have raised human rights abuses. In fact in the dialogue that took place two weeks ago, we gave him a specific list of all the political dissidents and asked that they give them a release.
China
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Reform
Keith Martin Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Mr. Speaker, that is very nice but I wonder if that action involves not signing the UN declaration that condemned China for human rights abuses. This is the first time this country has not done that.
Once again I ask the Prime Minister what concrete measures is he going to give to the President of China to illustrate to the Canadian people that we as Canadians are appalled and disgusted by the human rights abuses that are occurring there now?
China
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Winnipeg South Centre
Manitoba
Liberal
Lloyd Axworthy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows full well that the most effective way of achieving changes on human rights is to build the capacity within the government itself and within the country itself.
As a result under the agreement we signed we are helping reform the legal system to bring in a legal aid program to train judges. We have under the agreement the opportunity to go to Tibet and deal directly with the question of religious discrimination. Further, China has just signed the UN covenant on economic and social rights, which is one of our priorities which is to get the Chinese to sign into the agreement on the UN covenant on rights.
In a matter of four or five months I think we have been able to achieve some—
China
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
The Speaker
The hon. member for Drummond.
Tobacco Legislation
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Bloc
Pauline Picard Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Health announced that he was going to table amendments to his anti-tobacco legislation, so that the Grand Prix could be televised in Canada.
Can the minister tell us clearly whether or not he intends to take the necessary action to support other sports and cultural events?
Tobacco Legislation
Oral Question Period
2:35 p.m.
Etobicoke Centre
Ontario
Liberal
Allan Rock Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, today is at least the fifth time I have stated the government's position on this issue.
As I said yesterday and last week, we intend to respect the undertaking we gave a few months ago. We are impatiently awaiting the Government of Quebec's new tobacco legislation.
Medical Research
Oral Question Period
October 30th, 1997 / 2:35 p.m.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett St. Paul's, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.
I have a thick file in my office from concerned medical researchers in this country who are worried that we are falling gravely behind the other G-7 countries in the funding for medical research.
What can the Minister of Health say to these people so we do not lose them to south of the border where there are dollars for medical research?
Medical Research
Oral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Etobicoke Centre
Ontario
Liberal
Allan Rock Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to maintaining the world class medical research we enjoy in Canada. The Medical Research Council is acknowledged throughout the world as establishing a standard of excellence envied by other countries and this government has acted in recent years to preserve that standard of excellence.
Let me mention two items. First of all we have rendered permanent and we have established stable funding for a network of centres of excellence across the country for medical research. Second, through the Foundation for Innovation we are creating the infrastructure for research in the future.
We will do more. We will ensure that we maintain—
Medical Research
Oral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
The Speaker
The hon. member for Yellowhead.
Airports
Oral Question Period
2:40 p.m.
Reform
Cliff Breitkreuz Yellowhead, AB
Mr. Speaker, in July the federal court ruled that the Jasper and Banff airstrips should remain open. In spite of this court order, Parks Canada officials ticketed pilots for landing their planes on these airstrips.
Will the Secretary of State for Parks Canada explain to this House why his officials deliberately broke the law?