House of Commons Hansard #136 of the 35th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was grain.

Topics

PensionsOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Ian McClelland Reform Edmonton Southwest, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister knows full well that the Reform plan for the Canada pension plan would protect current seniors and would also make it possible for future Canadians to have a pension at all.

My question is to the President of the Treasury Board. Last Friday the President of the Treasury Board inferred that increasing annual Canada pension plan premiums $1,300 per employee will prevent the program from going broke.

Will the minister now promise Canadians that there will be no further increase in Canada pension plan premiums and that there will be no further decreases in Canada pension plan benefits?

PensionsOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Scarborough East Ontario

Liberal

Doug Peters LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, the Reform Party's numbers are usually wrong and they are again in this question. Reformers have not stated how they are going to pay the millions of current seniors or the people over the age of 50 who are dependent on the Canada pension plan for future benefits. How are they going to pay them with their plan?

Their plan will not provide disability or children's benefits. Their plan will not provide a drop-out provision. It will not provide indexation. They will put all the risks in the hands of the workers.

Their pension plan is not the pension plan we have in the Liberal Party. We will support the Canada pension plan and the provinces will support the Canada pension plan.

PensionsOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Ian McClelland Reform Edmonton Southwest, AB

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are not fooled by this. When the Liberals are asked a reasonable question and stand up and respond with rubbish and prevarication we can see right through it.

A tax by any other name is still a tax. The Minister of Industry referred to Canada pension plan premiums as a payroll tax. The Minister of Finance has said payroll taxes are a cancer on job creation.

My question to the Prime Minister is how many jobs will be killed by the $10 billion job killing Liberal payroll tax grab?

PensionsOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Scarborough East Ontario

Liberal

Doug Peters LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, the answer to that question is their plan will require people to put money into an RRSP.

How many jobs will that kill? It will kill a lot more jobs than the 15 per Canada pension plan. It is a pension plan, an investment plan. They do not understand the difference between a tax and an investment in a pension plan.

Reference To Supreme CourtOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Bellehumeur Bloc Berthier—Montcalm, QC

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

Last Friday, the federal government revealed its argument in its reference to the Supreme Court. As always, the language is irresponsible and provocative. All it is capable of doing, in fact, is subscribing to the opinion of an expert, who holds that, and I quote: "The only way for an entity to secede unilaterally is by traditional means, which involves winning a war of independence, as did Bangladesh-".

Will the minister acknowledge that his government is acting irresponsibly in taking an extremist position and raising the spectre of civil war?

Reference To Supreme CourtOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to point out once again why the Government of Canada sought the opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada.

I would remind the hon. member that the stance taken by the PQ government of Quebec has made this necessary.

The attorney general of Quebec has denied the role of the courts and the Constitution in this debate. As the attorney general of Canada, I have the responsibility of maintaining and protecting the role of the courts and the Constitution. So, the reference to the court has brought out fundamental issues in order to resolve these disputes.

Reference To Supreme CourtOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Bellehumeur Bloc Berthier—Montcalm, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would point out that the minister failed to answer this question, which, nevertheless, is in his brief. That is quite distressing.

In its arguments, the federal court also contends that a constitutional amendment would be required for Quebec to declare independence. I would like to understand, for it is vitally important.

Is the Minister of Justice telling us that, if a majority of Quebecers vote in favour of Quebec's sovereignty, a province like Prince Edward Island, which has at best 93,000 voters, could block the democratic will of over five million Quebec voters?

Reference To Supreme CourtOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, the brief we presented Friday afternoon, including the experts' opinion, sets out the federal government's position on the three questions before the courts.

The experts' opinions support our position, which is that, under both national and international law, a government does not, as the PQ government of Quebec claims, have the right to unilaterally declare the separation of a province from a democratic and independent state.

Somalia InquiryOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Jim Hart Reform Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence.

In a letter written by General Boyle on March 21, 1996, prior to his testimony at the Somalia inquiry, he declared that the inquiry should not investigate the issue of high level cover-up. Boyle said don't investigate and, surprise, the minister shut down the inquiry before the commissioners could investigate the issue of cover-up.

Out of all people, why did the minister accept and implement Boyle's advice? How can the minister explain that?

Somalia InquiryOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Acadie—Bathurst New Brunswick

Liberal

Douglas Young LiberalMinister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member referred to a letter allegedly written by Jean Boyle in which he said: Do not investigate the cover-up. If the hon. member would send me a copy of the letter I would be happy to respond to the question, and specifically to the quote to which he has just referred.

Somalia InquiryOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Jim Hart Reform Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt, BC

Mr. Speaker, the government should have disqualified Boyle's advice because he was a witness before the inquiry. Boyle wanted the inquiry shut down. The government accepted and implemented Boyle's advice. This defence minister shut down the Somalia inquiry.

Canadians want to know what the government is hiding.

Somalia InquiryOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Acadie—Bathurst New Brunswick

Liberal

Douglas Young LiberalMinister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, to be very honest with the hon. gentlemen, as I say, I will look at the letter when he sends it to me in which Jean Boyle said "do not" or "do" shut down the inquiry, whatever the quote was.

However, in the time I have been Minister of National Defence, General Boyle did not have much time to give me much advice.

Pulp And Paper CompaniesOral Question Period

March 3rd, 1997 / 2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board.

The merging of two major pulp and paper companies, Abitibi Price and Stone Consolidated, resulted in the creation of that industry's largest company in the world, with sales in excess of $4 billion. However, despite the fact that the majority of plants and workers of this new conglomerate are in Quebec, there is still no guarantee that the corporation's head office will be in Montreal.

Can the minister tell us if his government made representations to convince the new company's senior management to maintain its Canadian head office in Montreal?

Pulp And Paper CompaniesOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Hull—Aylmer Québec

Liberal

Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, this is a strange question, given that the Treasury Board does not have a say as to where companies set up their head offices.

I should tell the hon. member that, in our system, this decision is up to the companies themselves. They are the ones that decide where they will set up their head offices. This is what will happen in this case.

Pulp And Paper CompaniesOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Bellehumeur Bloc Berthier—Montcalm, QC

How reassuring.

Pulp And Paper CompaniesOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC

Mr. Speaker, we understand that the President of the Treasury Board is also the minister responsible for Quebec, and we are concerned as to whether he is protecting Quebec's interests.

On October 22, the Prime Minister made the following comment before the Montreal Chamber of Commerce: "Through work, and in a spirit of co-operation, we can put Montreal back on its feet. We have no choice: we must succeed".

Are we to understand that, when the time comes to provide concrete support to Montreal's economy, the government will not do anything but resort to empty rhetoric?

Pulp And Paper CompaniesOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Hull—Aylmer Québec

Liberal

Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, we are protecting Quebec's interests by creating jobs, as we do when

we invest in Bombardier or Pratt & Whitney. We are helping Quebec by providing good government at the federal level, thus lowering interest rates and increasing investments in that province.

We are providing good government, precisely to help Quebecers overcome the uncertainty generated by the opposition's stand on the issue of separation. What creates problems in Quebec is the fact that the opposition spends all its time promoting sovereignty, thus increasing economic uncertainty in Quebec and reducing the number of jobs. Quebec's real interests lie in good government.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Caccia Liberal Davenport, ON

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

Presently representatives from 150 countries are meeting in Bonn to draft an accord aimed at reducing global emissions of carbon dioxide. Apparently Canada has said that it will not meet the target of stabilizing carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2000.

Can the minister say what she plans to do to meet both the carbon dioxide reduction commitment made by Canada under the climate change convention and the further reductions promised in the red book in view of the fact that voluntary efforts are proving to be insufficient?

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Edmonton Northwest Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Natural Resources

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. It is timely, considering that starting tomorrow in Bonn, the world's nations will begin another series of negotiations in relation to the challenge of global warming.

Let me assure the hon. member that my colleague, the Minister of the Environment, and I announced 45 new or enhanced measures when we met with our provincial colleagues in Toronto in December. Those measures include things like green power procurement in federal buildings, enhanced energy efficiency regulations for appliances and small engines.

However, the hon. member is right that is will be very hard for us as a nation to achieve the stabilization goals. But by working with other stakeholders like the provinces, industry and environmental groups, ours is a record of which we can be proud. Ours is a record that reflects momentum and we will continue to work on this difficult global problem.

HospitalsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Grant Hill Reform Macleod, AB

Mr. Speaker, the hospital closures in the Ottawa area are a direct result of the Liberal government's cuts to medicare, in fact 40 per cent in cuts to medicare.

Why does the Minister of Health not just put up a sign on every closed hospital that says: "This closure courtesy of the Liberal Party of Canada?"

HospitalsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Cape Breton—East Richmond Nova Scotia

Liberal

David Dingwall LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the thesis promoted by members of the third party is totally inaccurate.

If one were to read the comprehensive report of the national forum, a body which was appointed by the Prime Minister, it clearly said that Canada has the second most expensive health care system in the world, that our health care system is not underfunded, and that the problems with our health care system have more to do with management than anything else.

HospitalsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Grant Hill Reform Macleod, AB

Mr. Speaker, the minister missed one little fact from the health care forum. The Liberals are going down to $11.1 billion, but the forum said to keep the funding at $12.5 billion, which is quite a difference.

The hospital closures are a direct result of the 40 per cent in cuts. The Liberals promised to save medicare. What did they deliver? Hospitals closing.

Why does every hospital not put up a great big brass plaque which states: "This closure courtesy of the Liberal Party of Canada?"

HospitalsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Cape Breton—East Richmond Nova Scotia

Liberal

David Dingwall LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, again the hon. member from the Reform Party is somewhat negligent with the facts.

As a result of the economic policies of the government, we have saved provincial treasuries in excess of $1.6 billion on interest rates alone. In addition, for this fiscal year we have provided the provinces $8.6 billion in revenues for equalization.

Because of the Minister of Finance's budget of not this year, but last year, the government has provided not only a cash floor but a minimum of $25.1 billion to the provinces for the purposes of social programs.

CloningOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

François Langlois Bloc Bellechasse, QC

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

These last few weeks, the media have reported several cases of cloning using adult animal cells. Everyone has been able to see the results of a cloning experiment carried out by Scottish researchers

on a sheep called Dolly. Many experts have serious concerns about the possibility of human cloning.

Does the minister recognize that this is a matter of great urgency, given the tremendous progress made in research, and that he must amend the Criminal Code as soon as possible to prohibit human cloning?

CloningOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Cape Breton—East Richmond Nova Scotia

Liberal

David Dingwall LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question because it is a serious and a substantive one.

Members will recall that we introduced legislation to deal with the very subject matter to which the hon. member referred. It is in committee at the present time. The legislation has two phases, phase one and phase two. If we could get the co-operation of the various political parties I am certain we could move in a very expeditious way to have that legislation pass through the House of Commons as well as the upper house.