Debates of March 27th, 1998
House of Commons Hansard #82 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was crops.
Topics
- Canada Grain Act
- Mps Versus Pages Hockey Game
- Technology Partnerships Canada
- Dehydration Industry
- Immigration
- Agriculture
- Fisheries
- Member For Sherbrooke
- Ice Storm 1998
- British Columbia Byelection
- World Theatre Day
- Infrastructure
- Hepatitis C
- British Columbia
- Commission On Future Of Mirabel Airport
- Judicial System In Restigouche Region
- The Kidney Foundation
- Hepatitis C
- Option Canada
- Banking
- Pensions
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Commission On Future Of Mirabel Airport
- Shipping
- Varennes Tokamak
- Transport
- Herbicides
- Tourism
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Disability Pensions
- National Defence
- Highways
- Forestry
- Taxation
- Coast Guard Radio Station
- Atomic Energy Of Canada Limited
- Fisheries
- National Defence
- Railways
- Points Of Order
- Order In Council Appointments
- Government Response To Petitions
- House Committees
- Petitions
- Questions On The Order Paper
- Canada Grain Act
Option Canada
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
Sheila Copps Hamilton East, ON
—to give any information whatsoever, while we have provided over 100 pages to the Parliament of Canada.
Option Canada
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Bloc
Richard Marceau Charlesbourg, QC
Troublemaker.
Option Canada
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
Option Canada
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Bloc
Hélène Alarie Louis-Hébert, QC
Mr. Speaker, the deeper one looks, the murkier it gets.
Through her bungling, is the minister taking part in the cover-up that has been going on since 1995 and that was the reason the auditor general said on January 20 that, as long as everything is not out in the open, it will not be clear whether we are dealing with a simple administrative oversight or real misappropriation of funds?
Option Canada
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Hamilton East
Ontario
Liberal
Sheila Copps Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, once again, all this party wants to do is stir up trouble.
Option Canada
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Bloc
Richard Marceau Charlesbourg, QC
Give us an answer.
Option Canada
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
Sheila Copps Hamilton East, ON
If trouble is what they want, let them go to Minister Landry who, on December 19, 1996, used sections 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 37, 38 and 39 of the Access to Information Act to refuse to give any information whatsoever about the billions siphoned off for the sovereigntists' shady Plan O.
Banking
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
NDP
Alexa McDonough Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.
The government refuses to hear the legitimate concerns of small depositors, small businesses and smaller communities on the megabank merger until after the task force on financial services reports.
In stark contrast the government rolls out the red carpet to the international financial elite. The government cannot wait to fast track the WTO deal thereby throwing open Canada's borders to foreign banks.
Why does the government hide behind the task force on financial services when it comes to the megabank concerns of Canadian citizens and Canadian communities but rushes to accommodate foreign banks?
Banking
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Saint-Maurice
Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we have a committee studying the problem and we are waiting for the recommendations. A few months ago banks wanted to have an approval right away and we said no, that they had to wait until we had a report and that in the light of the report we would make a decision.
It was very clear. They wanted to have an answer in the month of February and we said “No, wait until we are ready and we will be ready when the report comes to the government in the fall”.
Banking
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
NDP
Alexa McDonough Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister conveniently ignored the question about fast tracking foreign banks.
If the financial services report is so important, why not defer the foreign banks issue as well until after the task force report?
Should we not consider foreign banks at the same that we consider the megabank merger? Why does the government not cool its jets on foreign banks legislation until after the financial services task force report, or are the interests of Canadian citizens and Canadian communities not as important to the government as the interests of foreign banks and financial elites?
Banking
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Saint-Maurice
Québec
Liberal
Jean Chrétien Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I do not know how the member concludes that sort of thing. At this time she says she is opposed to the merger but she wants more competition. If she wants more competition we should look at the possibility of having even more competition through accepting some foreign banks.
The committee is studying all that. If the member has some views to express she can go to the committee and her views, if they are good views, will be reflected when the committee of the House discusses these things.
Pensions
Oral Question Period
March 27th, 1998 / 11:25 a.m.
Progressive Conservative
Mark Muise West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, on February 3, I wrote to the hon. minister about a decision to change the employment status of fishers and subsequent demand for retroactive CPP payments effective January 1, 1997. Subsequently I asked the minister to address this issue during question period. I even submitted another letter on March 12, yet there is no response.
Will the minister here and now commit to removing this retroactivity request and agree to negotiate a more suitable implementation date?
Pensions
Oral Question Period
11:25 a.m.
Wascana
Saskatchewan
Liberal
Ralph Goodale Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Human Resources Development I assure the hon. gentleman that his representations are being given serious consideration by the minister.
As I understand it, the minister has not been able to arrive at a final conclusion on the matter but he does intend to respond to the member at the earliest opportunity.
Pensions
Oral Question Period
11:30 a.m.
Progressive Conservative
Mark Muise West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, in the meantime boat owners will have to fork out hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay Revenue Canada, leading to numerous layoffs.
The tax program is slated to end August 1998, leaving thousands of fishers and plant workers wondering how they are going to survive. Both the Harrigan report and the standing committee on fisheries report recommend the creation of a new post-TAGS program. Is the minister of fisheries seriously considering the creation of a post-TAGS program? If so, in what timeframe can we expect a response?
Pensions
Oral Question Period
11:30 a.m.
Victoria
B.C.
Liberal
David Anderson Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the member has raised an extremely important question which is being addressed by a committee of ministers headed up by the minister of human resources.
As the member is well aware, the issue is one that involves a large number of plant workers as well as a smaller number of actual fishermen. We hope we will be able to have that plan in place in good time before the expiry of the existing TAGS program in August of this year.