Debates of Nov. 24th, 1997
House of Commons Hansard #36 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was mines.
Topics
- Criminal Code
- Anti-Personnel Mines Convention Implementation Act
- Lorie Kane
- Catriona Lemay Doan
- Senator Marcel Prud'Homme
- Aboriginal Peoples
- Diabetes Awareness Month
- Land Mines
- Olympic International Children's Festival
- The Late Justice John Sopinka
- Journée Nationale Des Patriotes
- British Columbia
- Anti-Sealing Lobby Groups
- Employment
- Employment Insurance
- Curling
- Diabetes Awareness Month
- Curtain Club Theatre
- Lebanon
- Canada Post
- Employment Insurance
- Option Canada
- Canada Pension Plan
- Option Canada
- Young Offenders Act
- The Environment
- Revenue Canada
- The Environment
- Canada Post
- Apec
- Land Mines
- Export Development Corporation
- Taxation
- Dairy Products
- Ports Canada
- Canada Pension Plan
- Youth Employment
- Highways
- Pay Equity
- Presence In Gallery
- Point Of Order
- Order In Council Appointments
- Government Response To Petitions
- Committees Of The House
- Access To Information Act
- Committees Of The House
- Petitions
- Questions On The Order Paper
- Anti-Personnel Mines Convention Implementation Act
Apec
Oral Question Period
2:45 p.m.
Winnipeg South Centre
Manitoba
Liberal
Lloyd Axworthy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, at the APEC ministerial meeting this past week a couple of important steps were taken.
First, it was agreed by all ministers that questions dealing with the consequences of economic change and trade liberalization impacts upon labour markets would be a matter for consideration under the human resource working group of ministers. That would involve a combination of labour and management consultations to ensure we are able to examine the full consequences.
Second, the ministers also decided to sponsor support of a ministerial meeting on women's issues which will be held in the Philippines next year.
Land Mines
Oral Question Period
November 24th, 1997 / 2:50 p.m.
Liberal
David Pratt Nepean—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.
In early December nations from more than 100 countries will come to Ottawa to sign the treaty banning anti-personnel mines. Recently I contacted the minister to suggest that the government spearhead an effort to exhibit Canada's leading edge land mine clearing technology at this conference.
Could the minister advise the House what progress has been made by his department on this suggestion?
Land Mines
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Ottawa South
Ontario
Liberal
John Manley Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I solute the hon. member for Nepean—Carleton who came forward with this suggestion.
As a result I am pleased to advise the House that we will be hosting a Canadian de-mining showcase in Ottawa on December 3 and 4, concurrently with the signing of the Ottawa declaration.
The availability of technology is not only to give effect to the terms of the treaty in which Canada has played such an important role but to give availability of solutions to people whose lives have disrupted by the unfortunate consequence of land mines.
Export Development Corporation
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
Scott Brison Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, last week I informed the House that the president of EDC, Export Development Corporation, Ian Gillespie, told the foreign affairs committee that EDC is reluctant to sign the code of ethics championed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
How can Canadian corporations be asked to sign this code of ethics when Canadian crown agencies will not play by the same rules? Will the Minister for International Trade restore relevancy to Canada's foreign policy by ensuring that EDC signs the code of ethics of the Minister of Foreign Affairs?
Export Development Corporation
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Halton
Ontario
Liberal
Julian Reed Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, the Economic Development Corporation must subscribe to the policies of the federal government which de facto make it subscribe to a code of ethics set down by the government.
The code of ethics described there is for businesses that are not signed on and it is voluntary.
Taxation
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Reform
Deepak Obhrai Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, the riding I represent is made up of small business people, single parents, working families and seniors. They are trying to make ends meet. These Canadians do not want government handouts. All they want is the government to take its hands out their pockets.
My question is for the Minister of Finance. His so-called latest tax relief is simply nickels and dimes. When will he listen to these Canadians and commit today to bringing in real tax relief for small businesses, single parents, working families and seniors?
Taxation
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
LaSalle—Émard
Québec
Liberal
Paul Martin Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, $1.4 billion may be nickels and dimes to the hon. member. To Canadians that happens to be real money.
At the same time the $850 million my colleague, the Minister of Human Resources, put forth in terms of the child tax benefit, the second $850 million that will be coming, also happens to be real money.
The tax relief that is being provided to students happens to be real money. The fact that the government has succeeded as a result of a clean-up of the balance sheet in bringing down mortgage rates and bringing down car purchase rates happens to be real money.
Dairy Products
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Guy Chrétien Frontenac—Mégantic, QC
Mr. Speaker, imports of mixtures of oil, butter and sugar, which are used in the manufacture of ice cream for example, have been flooding our markets increasingly since 1995. Our dairy producers are the ones to bear the brunt.
Is the Minister of Agriculture aware of the danger of allowing the situation to worsen and does he intend to continue to take the appropriate action to protect our dairy producers whose quotas have dropped by nearly 3%?
Dairy Products
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
Bellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'Islet
Québec
Liberal
Gilbert Normand Secretary of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food) (Fisheries and Oceans)
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased the hon. member raised the question, which is indeed of concern to our dairy producers.
An agreement has been signed on import products, including butter. At the moment this product meets the requirements of the agreement. We are looking at ways to amend the agreement, but if we amend the agreement for butter oil, we also have to amend it for the other products.
Ports Canada
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
NDP
Peter Mancini Sydney—Victoria, NS
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. In July the Vancouver detachment of Ports Canada police was disbanded. The Vancouver Port Corporation charged multinational shipping companies a fee for using the port facilities, part of which paid for the ports police services at no cost to Canadian taxpayers.
Since July the Vancouver police department took over ports policing. That cost was supposed to be $1 million. There are indications that just since July it may be $1.5 million.
Given that the government promised the disbanding of Ports Canada police would not cost Canadian taxpayers—
Ports Canada
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
The Speaker
The hon. member for Markham.
Canada Pension Plan
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
Jim Jones Markham, ON
Mr. Speaker, if I understood him, the Minister of Finance indicated the CPP investment board would choose its own auditors. The minister said that someone from the outside may have more expertise. An auditor's job is not to protect the board of directors but to protect the shareholders, Canadians.
Why is the auditor general not given access through the legislation to the information that will allow him to ensure Canadians are protected?
Canada Pension Plan
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
LaSalle—Émard
Québec
Liberal
Paul Martin Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the government has made it very clear that the auditor general will be given complete access to all the information he requires to complete his audit. He will be auditing the Canada pension plan.
If in fact the legislation is not sufficiently clear we have indicated that we will make it clear in order to ensure that very thing.
The investment board will have the option of either choosing an outside auditor or the auditor general. The fact is it may well decide, because the provinces are also involved, that an outside auditor would have far greater expertise in that specific area. That is a decision for the board to make.
Youth Employment
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Liberal
Steve Mahoney Mississauga West, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.
In its first mandate the government tackled youth unemployment head on by establishing the youth employment strategy. However unemployment continues to be a serious problem for Canada's young people.
What initiatives has the minister taken to address this important issue?
Youth Employment
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Papineau—Saint-Denis
Québec
Liberal
Pierre Pettigrew Minister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Mississauga West who I know cares very much about youth employment.
Indeed our youth employment strategy was a $350 million strategy for three years, helping 110,000 young Canadians to make the transition from school to work. Five thousand Canadians have been helped by Youth Service Canada.
Almost 20,000 youngsters have been helped by Youth Internship Canada, 60,000 by the student career plan, 60,000 youths who got summer jobs, and another 60,000 got jobs related to their actual studies.