House of Commons Hansard #41 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pension.

Topics

United Nations Mission To HaitiOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Denis Coderre Liberal Bourassa, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Yesterday, the Canadian civilian police mission to Haiti came home. The impact of our contingent on the Haitian people was, without a shadow of a doubt, extremely beneficial. In response to President Préval, the security council unanimously decided to create a new civilian police mission.

What is this new UN mission to Haiti and will Canada be participating?

United Nations Mission To HaitiOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Winnipeg South Centre Manitoba

Liberal

Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the 600 members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the civilian police. I think it is a great contribution that will improve the future of Haiti.

As for the new mission, Canada will be sending 24 officers to help the Haitian government train its new national police force.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Jack Ramsay Reform Crowfoot, AB

Mr. Speaker, last week a group of young offenders beat an innocent girl to death. What comfort did the Minister of Justice offer? This is what she said: “I hope there is nobody out there who believes that if we just made the law tough enough that youth crime would disappear.” That is what she said when talking about cruelty to innocent girls, while indicating she is going to increase the penalty for cruelty to animals by more than four years.

Why is it that people who are cruel to animals are going to serve more jail time than the young offenders who were involved in the beating death of Reena Virk?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member seems to be under a misapprehension. What I indicated in relation to my comments regarding cruelty to animals is that we and the provinces are in the process of reviewing the existing laws. There may or may not be changes made.

I have made it clear over and over again in this House that we are reviewing the Young Offenders Act. We plan to make changes to the Young Offenders Act to make sure that we condemn the kind of conduct that led to the tragedy in Victoria last week.

St. Lawrence SeawayOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC

Mr. Speaker, on the eve of the St. Lawrence Seaway's closure for the winter, relations between the 525 workers and the administration are strained.

The slowdown by employees could affect traffic severely as ship crews hurry to leave the Seaway before it closes.

My question is for the Minister of Transport. Could the minister assure us that he will encourage the St. Lawrence Seaway authority to negotiate in good faith and to sign a new collective agreement to replace the one that expired a year ago?

St. Lawrence SeawayOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I do not think it is appropriate for a minister to give instructions to a crown agency such as the St. Lawrence Seaway in terms of dealing with its employees. I am sure, knowing the management of that body, that it will be dealing with its employees in a fair and just manner, taking into account the financial situation of the seaway and the general economic climate at the time.

AidsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister.

Five years ago the Prime Minister promised $55 million per year for a national AIDS strategy. Today the health minister basically announced the status quo, coming in at $42 million per year despite a 50% increase in the rate of HIV infection over the past five years.

Will the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledge that the HIV-AIDS crisis is even more serious today than when the government promised $55 million? Will he commit to a plan that makes a real difference in stopping this deadly disease?

AidsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Eglinton—Lawrence Ontario

Liberal

Joe Volpe LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the commitment that was made has already been lived up to. As I indicated earlier, Canada is essentially a world leader in financing research to combat the AIDS epidemic and in providing funds for palliative care, for therapeutic care and for drug research.

That record is being replicated and improved upon with today's announcement of $211 million spread out over five years. That is in addition to all the funds that are being disbursed by other agencies like the Medical Research Council for that purpose.

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Scott Brison Progressive Conservative Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, section 110 of the U.S. Immigration Reform Act was before Congress for 13 months, passing in September 1996.

When I asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs to table a list of official representations made by our ambassador in Washington, I was told it would be a very long list. In committee a department official confirmed that there was only one representation made and it was a letter sent in December 1996, three months after the bill passed.

Why did the minister indicate that greater representation had been made than had actually been made? Why did our ambassador drop the ball in representing Canadian interests in Washington?

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Winnipeg South Centre Manitoba

Liberal

Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I basically stand by my previous answer. A wide variety of people made a wide variety of representations to a wide variety of congressmen and senators, including the administration. We have the result that the United States Congress is moving to eliminate that part of Bill 110.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Karen Redman Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for International Financial Institutions.

Canada made some structural changes a decade ago to our income tax system and we have taken some steps in our previous budgets. Can the secretary of state tell us whether income tax reform is on the government's agenda?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Willowdale Ontario

Liberal

Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, yes, we look forward to the report of the finance committee as well as to the report of the Mintz committee.

As well, we have already undertaken some important reforms. We are the party for example that has abolished the $100,000 lifetime capital gains exemption. We have restricted the use of tax shelters. We have eliminated the advantages for family trusts. We have also dealt with the issue of taxpayer migration.

It is important to recognize that Canada has the most progressive income tax system in the G-7. Two per cent of tax filers have an income over $100,000. They pay 21% of taxes. We will continue to look forward to methods of improving—

Canadian Armed ForcesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Reform

Art Hanger Reform Calgary Northeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, Corporal Matthew Schovanek's hopes and dreams were robbed from him while on peacekeeping duty in Croatia. He was left paralyzed, blind and in need of full time care for the rest of his life. His skull was crushed because our military sent him into service without a helmet. Helmets were not issued because of significant accounting difficulties, whatever that means.

The government must accept responsibility for what has happened to Matthew. Will the government assure Matthew and his family that he will be properly compensated for this horrendous preventable accident?

Canadian Armed ForcesOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Fred Mifflin LiberalMinister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, this House and I am sure the government and the opposition share the tragedy of the event when any member of the Canadian forces has a casualty, whether on duty or not.

I have to say and I think the hon. member knows that this matter is before the courts. It would be most inappropriate for me to comment any further.

Asbestos IndustryOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Jean-Guy Chrétien Bloc Frontenac—Mégantic, QC

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the asbestos issue, the Government of Quebec has sent four letters since February to the federal government asking it to lodge a complaint against France before the World Trade Organization. Only the Minister for International Trade seems not to be aware of these letters.

When will the government make up its mind to complain to the WTO about France's banning of asbestos?

Asbestos IndustryOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

York West Ontario

Liberal

Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting that the member forgot to mention that when the premier of Quebec visited France, he specifically requested the federal government to back off and back away from any WTO challenge. Now that he is safely back, the member asks where have you been? In case he has gone missing in action, my deputy minister chaired a meeting in Quebec last week with government officials from Quebec and with the industry. There is strong consensus on moving forward together.

EducationOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

Last week in speaking to students at Carleton University, the premier of B.C. spoke out boldly and called on Ottawa and the provinces to work together to freeze tuition fees and reduce growing student debt. B.C. has already led the way in freezing tuition fees.

Will the minister support the B.C. initiative and admit that government must put the brakes on tuition fees and restore government funding now?

EducationOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, we have the great pleasure and privilege to live in a federation. As you know, tuition fees are the responsibility of provincial governments. I am going to respect what the provincial governments do as far as they are concerned.

What I can tell the member is that we as a government have been working very hard to help the students. We are going to make changes to the Canada student loans program because there needs to be a number of changes as far as that is concerned. We have met with the student associations, with the provinces, with the banks and we are moving along pretty well.

Government SpendingOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jim Jones Progressive Conservative Markham, ON

Mr. Speaker, over the last four years the Liberal government has been cutting indiscriminately, all this without considering the impact of cuts and the future competitiveness of young Canadians. Now that there is some evidence of a surplus, it appears that the government is ready to spend indiscriminately. There is a feeding frenzy going on. The ministers are fighting for their share of the surplus pot. The government is planning to spend carelessly and quickly.

Will the Minister of Finance inform the House of the criteria that new initiatives will undergo?

Government SpendingOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Willowdale Ontario

Liberal

Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

First, Mr. Speaker, we have to recognize that we still have a deficit. We still have a debt which is over 73% of our gross domestic product.

Yes, the hon. member has recognized that we have had to cut program spending from $120 billion to $105 billion. A lot of programs have suffered because of that. The member also has to recognize that there are tax cuts which we would hope to be able to bring in when they are sustainable.

TradeOral Question Period

December 1st, 1997 / 2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Steve Mahoney Liberal Mississauga West, ON

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.

In 1994 the federal government and the provinces signed an agreement on internal trade as a beginning toward the elimination of all interior trade barriers in Canada.

Can the minister inform the House on the implementation of this accord and what plans are there to eliminate all remaining internal trade barriers?

TradeOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, the agreement on internal trade signed in 1994 was an important first step in eliminating and reducing the trade barriers. However, I have to say that the progress that we had hoped to see in chapters such as government procurement in the MASH sector, energy, agriculture and so on has been very slow in coming.

I would also like to point out that many of the changes we would like to see adopted in the internal trade agreement, changes that would, for example, cause all the rules to apply to all trade except where exceptions are taken, are ones we think should be implemented as soon as possible.

I hope provincial governments will share our enthusiasm.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

I wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in our gallery of His Excellency, Mr. Erik Derycke, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Belgium.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to three petitions.