Debates of April 20th, 1998
House of Commons Hansard #88 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was senate.
Topics
- National Head Start Program
- Nunavut Act
- Armenian People
- Volunteers
- National Textiles Week
- Cancer Awareness Month
- Ytv Youth Achievement Awards
- Multilateral Agreement On Investment
- Canadian Flag
- Ethos Radio
- The Senate
- Fernand Labrie
- Parti Quebecois
- Hepatitis C
- The Senate
- C.D. Howe Institute
- National Volunteer Week
- National Organ Donor Week
- Correctional Service Canada
- Hepatitis C
- Banking
- Hepatitis C
- Banking
- C. D. Howe Institute
- Young Offenders Act
- Cigarette Prices
- Trade
- Young Offenders Act
- Hepatitis C
- Year 2000
- International Development
- Acquisition Of Submarines
- Banking
- Health
- Persons With Disabilities
- Polling
- Corporate Taxation
- Banking
- Privilege
- Order In Council Appointments
- Government Response To Petitions
- Petitions
- Questions On The Order Paper
- Request For Emergency Debate
- Business Of The House
- Nunavut Act
Banking
Oral Question Period
2:50 p.m.
NDP
Lorne Nystrom Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, if the two bank mergers go ahead, the two large megabanks will have 70% of the banking assets in this country.
It would take about 100 banks in the United States to have 70% of the banking assets in that country. I submit this is obscene concentration.
In the name of democracy, is the minister now prepared to establish an all party parliamentary committee to study these two mergers and give Canadians a chance to say their peace?
Banking
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
LaSalle—Émard
Québec
Liberal
Paul Martin Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, just as it is difficult to understand from day to day what the Reform Party position is, it appears to be equally difficult to understand the position of the member for Qu'Appelle. He now wants to have an all party study.
The day before yesterday he said that we should simply say no to the mergers. There seems to be some inconsistency within the NDP as to what exactly its position is.
The fact is in order to protect small business, in order to protect rural communities, in order to make sure Canadian consumers are taken care of and that there is full competition is why we put in place the MacKay committee. That is why there is going to be full—
Banking
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
The Speaker
The hon. member for Charlotte.
Health
Oral Question Period
April 20th, 1998 / 2:55 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
Greg Thompson Charlotte, NB
Mr. Speaker, we have not had a lot of information from the health minister today. So this question is to the Deputy Prime Minister.
Based on information in a story that ran in The Globe and Mail on April 3, can the Deputy Prime Minister not see that the health minister compromised his position in relation to cabinet solidarity and secrecy in the sense of who supported his position and who did not? Does this not send a message to the government that something has to be done? Maybe the health minister should be replaced because of this breach of confidentiality?
Health
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Windsor West
Ontario
Liberal
Herb Gray Deputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is sending a message that Premier Harris should be replaced, that Premier Klein should be replaced, that Premier Binns should be replaced, all Conservatives like him. They shared in that agreement and they continue to stand by it.
Persons With Disabilities
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Liberal
Reg Alcock Winnipeg South, MB
Mr. Speaker, disabled Canadians want the same access to training and jobs that all Canadians enjoy.
Can the Minister for Human Resources Development tell us what he is doing to ensure that they receive it?
Persons With Disabilities
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 his very good work as chair of the parliamentary committee for disabled Canadians.
We want to do even more. This is why our government is moving forward on many fronts to help persons with disabilities. Just last week we signed an agreement with the Government of Manitoba to launch an employment assistance for persons with disabilities agreement in that province. We hope to sign similar agreements with other provinces and territories in the near future.
These agreements will help persons with disabilities to prepare for and enter the workforce.
Polling
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Reform
Jim Gouk West Kootenay—Okanagan, BC
Mr. Speaker, access to information documents show that Liberals have increased spending on public opinion polling by 68% in three years, spending $28 million from 1994 to 1997. Almost half of that was without competition.
Given the Liberal criticism of the Tory governments and its spending on the polls, how does the Liberal government justify this whopping 68% increase?
Polling
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel
Québec
Liberal
Alfonso Gagliano Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I do not know where the member gets the figures.
Maybe he should consult with his advertising firm which said: “There is no evidence that the process is unfair or weighted in favour of Liberal political allies”. Since we have been in government we have had an open process. That is how we give contracts to Canadians who qualify.
Corporate Taxation
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
Bloc
Maud Debien Laval East, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
Two years ago, with much fanfare, the Minister of Finance announced the creation of a committee to examine corporate taxation. Now, he has once again hastily tabled this committee's report just before the House adjourned.
Are we to understand from the minister's actions that this report will once again be shelved?
Corporate Taxation
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
LaSalle—Émard
Québec
Liberal
Paul Martin Minister of Finance
Not at all, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I would like to thank the chair and members of the committee for their work.
As members perhaps know, the report will be submitted to the Standing Committee on Finance for study. We have, however, said that our priority is to lower personal taxes.
Banking
Oral Question Period
2:55 p.m.
NDP
Nelson Riis Kamloops, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. He is well aware that if the bank mergers are permitted to proceed we will see the loss of thousands of jobs in that sector. He will appreciate the reduction in competition in that vital sector. He knows that there are major implications in allowing foreign banks to come into Canada.
In light of those three aspects, would he agree with me that it would be appropriate, at least for the finance committee of the House, to do an in-depth analysis of the impacts of these bank mergers on the financial community of Canada and on Canadians generally?
Banking
Oral Question Period
3 p.m.
LaSalle—Émard
Québec
Liberal
Paul Martin Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, absolutely. That is why it is our intention to submit the MacKay report to the finance committee for exactly that purpose.
Banking
Oral Question Period
3 p.m.
The Speaker
I have a question for the hon. member for Lac-Saint-Jean. Does the question of privilege arise from question period? For your information, I like matters of privilege to be submitted to me in writing one hour before they are raised.
Banking
Oral Question Period
3 p.m.
Bloc
