House of Commons Hansard #164 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agency.

Topics

AgricultureOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

AgricultureOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Howard Hilstrom Reform Selkirk—Interlake, MB

I do not want to hear from our ambassador down there. I want to hear something strong from the Americans saying they will abide by trade rules.

Quite simply the heritage minister has poisoned Canada's trade relationship with the U.S. It refuses to co-operate on agricultural issues because she has been so abusive to its magazine industry.

Why would the Americans deal fairly with us on important matters like agriculture when the heritage minister has been taunting and abusing U.S. business for years?

AgricultureOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario

Liberal

Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, I found the comments of the hon. member very interesting when he went on national television the other night and accused Canadian pork producers of crying. I found his interest in agriculture to be very regressive.

2010 Olympic GamesOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, in response to the accusation that the federal government supported Vancouver's application, says that the Quebec minister of culture supported Quebec City's application.

No one is surprised at the B.C. premier's support for Vancouver, that is understandable, as was Ms. Beaudoin's for Quebec City.

However, what is surprising—and this is my question—is why were two ministers of the federal government identified by name as supporting Vancouver's application, when no federal minister from Quebec supported Quebec City's application?

2010 Olympic GamesOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Hamilton East Ontario

Liberal

Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, first the member's statement that the federal government supported one of the three cities is wrong. And if he thinks so, he better be ready to bet his seat here, because that is totally wrong.

Second, the member's remarks about the Premier of B.C. were wrong too. He was not on the committee.

AgricultureOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Ovid Jackson Liberal Bruce—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, last September our $20 billion agricultural trade with the United States was seriously hampered when a few governors and some producers blockaded our borders. I understand they intend to repeat that practice this weekend.

What is the agriculture minister doing to make it clear to our American friends that the practice of blockading and rhetoric is not the way to solve trade disagreements?

AgricultureOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario

Liberal

Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, I was in Washington yesterday speaking to industry and political leaders, including two conversations with Vice-President Gore.

I undertook to dispel the myths and misunderstandings of a number of trade issues in the agriculture and agri-food industry between our two countries. I urged them to explain to their producers who are threatening to blockade again that the root cause of all this is basically understanding, and that while blockading the borders may get attention it does not solve the problem.

We have too much at stake with $20 billion to lose it.

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Art Hanger Reform Calgary Northeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Darnell Bass was associated with the Canadian forces secret commando unit called JTF2. He was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison for his role in a Calgary armoured car heist.

In the meantime police have seized guns used in that Calgary robbery from homes of other commando members living just outside Ottawa.

My question to the defence minister is what on earth were commandos doing with prohibited machine guns and why were no charges laid even though police discovered that they were the same guns used in the Calgary robbery?

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. member will respect the chief of police of Calgary who said there were any number of sources from which these weapons could have been obtained.

The matter is still under investigation by the Calgary police to determine the source of these weapons. Certainly we will do everything we can to co-operate with them.

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Art Hanger Reform Calgary Northeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, the point of the matter is that the same guns used in that robbery were seized from other military members in that commando unit.

Darnell Bass unexpectedly used his preliminary hearing Monday to plead guilty to a lesser charge of conspiracy to commit robbery. He was immediately sentenced to seven years in prison; no presentence report and no disclosure of evidence.

Bass quietly goes his way and the other JTF2 accomplices are never charged. What deal did the military make with Bass, the prosecutors and his accomplices?

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence

There were absolutely no deals, Mr. Speaker. This is a crime and the courts have determined the appropriate punishment in that regard. The Calgary police have investigated this matter and we are fully co-operative with them on that.

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

December 2nd, 1998 / 2:45 p.m.

NDP

Angela Vautour NDP Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB

Mr. Speaker, fewer and fewer unemployed workers are getting employment insurance benefits.

At the same time, child poverty is on the rise and the gap between rich and poor is growing. There is an obvious link between the employment insurance reform and the rise in poverty, but the Minister of Human Resources Development refuses to see it.

When will the minister visit these regions and adjust his reform, which generates so much poverty in Canada?

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the employment insurance reform implemented by our government better reflects the new labour market for which we are headed.

The system had not undergone such substantial change in 25 years. We are aware, of course, that the reform must be closely monitored. This is why the act itself requires that a report on the implementation of the employment insurance reform be tabled once a year.

This year, a new report will be tabled in the House in early 1999. But for the time being, the impact that we can see—

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre.

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, the NDP EI critic, the member for Acadie—Bathurst, is currently touring the country consulting Canadians about our flawed EI system. So far not one person has said they wish their premiums were 15 cents lower. What we are hearing instead is people saying they wish they could feed their families on these lousy benefits, or they wish they qualified at all. This reduction in premiums does nothing for unemployed Canadians.

What does the minister plan to do to expand the benefits so that more Canadians qualify and fewer Canadians are shut out of this flawed EI system?

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, 78% of Canadian workers who lose their jobs are covered by the EI system.

This party is asking us not to lower EI premiums. It just told us that it did not want to hear about the 15 cent lowering of the EI premiums. That is the NDP. This party of the right is asking us to lower it a great deal more and to be harsher—

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

TransportOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Bill Casey Progressive Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS

Mr. Speaker, further on in the auditor's report, with respect to a $50 million contract, the auditor says the minister directed department officials on the management committee to review the alternative financing arrangements to ensure that it met federal terms and conditions. However, this was not done.

Because this was not done, thousands of people in Atlantic Canada will pay Doug Young tolls every day beginning January 4 on a highway that was already paid for.

Will the minister now use the tools available to make sure that all parties comply with the terms of the agreement as originally signed?

TransportOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, despite the hon. member's selective quotes from the auditor general's report, all the regular procedures were followed. There was no impropriety on the part of the former minister of transport or on the part of the New Brunswick government in the establishment of this highway.

We have covered this issue a number of times in question period. I have said the federal government will make no further contributions involving any tolls on highways until we have a full policy established after consultation with the provinces. That should be satisfactory to the hon. member.

TransportOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Bill Casey Progressive Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS

Mr. Speaker, the auditor general goes on to say that although unable to implement the minister's direction, the departmental representatives signed the contract authorizations allowing the province to claim the funding for the project costs on a $50 million project. He did not do the job. He did not tell the minister. He signed the contract anyway which allows Doug Young to collect tolls from Atlantic Canadians by the thousands very day.

Will the minister simply follow the terms of the agreement and make sure all parties comply with the original agreement like the auditor general says?

TransportOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure the auditor general is saying that at all.

All the parties to the agreement have complied. What the hon. member is doing is raising in the House of Commons a very serious allegation about the former minister of transport and I am wondering if he will repeat that outside the Chamber.

Land MinesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Sheila Finestone Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Mr. Speaker, on December 3, 1997, 122 countries came to Canada to work to rid the world of antipersonnel land mines thanks to a new approach to international consensus building initiated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Given that the convention will enter into force on March 1, 1999, faster than any disarmament convention in history was negotiated, will the foreign affairs minister inform the House of the status of the convention with a brief indication of what has been achieved in this past year?

Land MinesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Winnipeg South Centre Manitoba

Liberal

Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, since the 122 countries came to Ottawa we have made substantial progress. There are now 133 countries that have signed the treaty and 55 countries have actually ratified it. As the member properly pointed out, it will become international law on March 1.

Many of the countries that have not signed the treaty have actively abided by the treated and are not exporting mines so that the trade in mines has virtually dried up.

The initiative announced by the Prime Minister for major Canadian contributions has meant that in 22 countries Canada is now active in taking mines out of the ground. We have destroyed 11 million mines in stockpiles. But perhaps most important, today the number of casualties in many countries has dropped by 70%—

Land MinesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Kelowna.

Canada PostOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Reform

Werner Schmidt Reform Kelowna, BC

Mr. Speaker, the minister of public works last week assured the House that postal franchisees would not lose any money as result of their new deal with Canada Post. Yesterday Canada Post cut the commissions to the postal franchisees by more than 50%.

How does gouging over 50% of the commissions to postal franchisees live up to the promise that they would not lose any money?