House of Commons Hansard #24 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was money.

Topics

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Calgary East.

World Trade OrganizationOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Reform

Deepak Obhrai Reform Calgary East, AB

Mr. Speaker, reports coming from the WTO in Geneva indicate that a draft agenda for the Seattle negotiations has reached a stalemate. As it stands now the elimination of the export and domestic production subsidies in the agricultural sector could be sidelined as it will be up to various delegations in Seattle's free for all to come up with an agenda. With 11 days remaining before Seattle, why will the minister not guarantee Canadian farmers that the elimination of agricultural subsidies will be his number one priority?

World Trade OrganizationOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, I want to be quite clear. This is definitely a very important priority for our government. This is at the top of our list of priorities for the WTO negotiations.

I am extremely pleased to tell the House that in early November we developed under Canada's chairmanship a consensus of the 34 democratic countries of this hemisphere, the Americas, to support our position to work very hard on the elimination of export subsidies in the field of agriculture.

Canadian Security Intelligence ServiceOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Bloc

René Laurin Bloc Joliette, QC

Mr. Speaker, Paule Gauthier, the Chair of SIRC, said that the antics of CSIS have created a serious credibility problem for Canada internationally.

Does the solicitor general realize that, from the beginning of this affair, his attitude and his pat answers about how very concerned he was have done nothing to improve Canada's credibility?

Canadian Security Intelligence ServiceOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois' support for the security of the Canadian government is very interesting. We appreciate this change in policy.

National HighwaysOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB

Mr. Speaker, right now 38% of the national highway system does not meet minimum standards. These bad roads cause avoidable accidents that kill over 200 Canadians a year. The national highway system has been a federal responsibility since 1919 and the Liberal government cannot blame the provinces for this.

Fixing the national highway system would cost 26 cents for every dollar the Liberal government collects in gas taxes. Will it commit in the next budget to invest at least this much in the national highway system so that Canadians can drive home safely?

National HighwaysOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to have the hon. member's support for upgrading the national highway system. As you know, Mr. Speaker, in the throne speech we said that there would be an infrastructure program with a transportation component. As to how much money goes into that, it depends on the work the Minister of Finance is currently doing in juggling other priorities and other demands for the very valuable money that is available. It is nice to have the NDP's support on this matter.

Royal Canadian MintOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Gilles Bernier Progressive Conservative Tobique—Mactaquac, NB

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services has just appointed Emmanuel Triassi as chair of the Royal Canadian Mint's board of directors.

Mr. Triassi is a generous donor to the Liberal Party of Canada; in addition, he and the minister have been very good friends for many years and belong to many of the same organizations.

Apart from the fact that he is a good friend of the minister, does Mr. Triassi have other qualifications justifying his appointment as chair of the Royal Canadian Mint?

Royal Canadian MintOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Mississauga Centre Ontario

Liberal

Carolyn Parrish LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, I am not in absolute control of all the information on this particular file, but all appointments, including those to the mint, are made by choosing the most qualified person and the best person for the job. I am sure that the person we have chosen will do a very fine job.

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Mac Harb Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, around the world armed conflicts are increasingly taking place inside countries instead of between countries.

What we are seeing more and more is that civilians are being brutally targeted and hit by their brutal governments.

My question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. What is the Government of Canada doing to put a stop to this nonsense around the world?

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Brome—Missisquoi Québec

Liberal

Denis Paradis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has been working vigorously in a number of fora to encourage action regarding the need to improve the safety and security of people. This was highlighted in the Speech from the Throne.

Following our initiative, the UN secretary general submitted a report last September containing 40 recommendations for improving the legal and physical protection of civilians affected by armed conflicts around the world. The security council unanimously adopted the resolution presented by Canada.

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Nanaimo—Alberni.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Reform

Bill Gilmour Reform Nanaimo—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday the supreme court clarified the Marshall decision, stating that native Indians had no treaty rights on natural resources such as timber.

However, in response, the minister of Indian affairs stated that the government plans to negotiate natural resources with the native community.

Considering that under our constitution natural resources belong to the province and the supreme court has just stated that natives have no treaty rights on resources such as timber, what exactly is it that the minister is going to negotiate with the native community?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Kenora—Rainy River Ontario

Liberal

Bob Nault LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where to commence in the short time you will give me.

Quite frankly, the courts have said over and over again—and if we read the clarification that the court made last week it says very clearly—that the government should be sitting down with the province and the first nations to negotiate modern day treaties dealing with resources.

I do not know why I have to stand every day to explain to the members things that are obvious in writing. If they would read the treaty we could get on with giving the Nisga'a new economic opportunity in this country.

World Trade OrganizationOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Odina Desrochers Bloc Lotbinière, QC

Mr. Speaker, the WTO negotiations will be getting under way in Seattle on November 30.

Canada has met the commitments it made in the agricultural sector under the GATT agreements. However, our other major trading partners have yet to meet theirs, including in the area of export subsidies and in market access rules.

My question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Before negotiating, should he not demand that the other countries meet their commitments instead of placing Canada's farming industry in a vulnerable position?

World Trade OrganizationOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Lotbinière for his excellent question, one that is highly relevant to Canada's position at this point, as we move toward the World Trade Organization negotiations.

This is in fact something we have noted. In Canada, we have honoured the Marrakech commitments. We have even gone slightly beyond, thus putting Canada in a very strong position to demand in Seattle the elimination of subsidies in the farm sector, export subsidies, because we respected our commitment as concerns supply management.

So that will improve Canada's position in obtaining new concessions from its partners.

Health CareOral Question Period

November 19th, 1999 / 11:55 a.m.

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, Premiers Klein and Harris, backed up by the Reform Party, want this country to retreat to the old, inefficient U.S. style of health care, back to the dark ages where they checked the purse before they checked the pulse.

The government has to be concerned about these developments and must know it has to take immediate action. It has to hold Alberta accountable for violating the principles of the Canada Health Act. It has to acknowledge that the only way to go forward, not backward, is to pursue innovation and improvements within the public health care system.

Can the government do that? Can it make that commitment today?

Health CareOral Question Period

Noon

Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies Québec

Liberal

Yvon Charbonneau LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health was very clear on this matter two days ago, before this House and in public. He will be a strong defender of Canada's public health system.

Mr. Klein has made proposals. The Minister of Health has agreed to study them. It is pointless for Mr. Klein to raise his voice and call the minister a hypocrite right now. The minister has said he will study the proposal and, should it run contrary to the Canadian public health system, the Minister of Health will rigorously defend the basic principles of the public health system.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

Cardigan P.E.I.

Liberal

Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in a response to an RCMP question from the member for Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, I mistakenly stated that the documents in the briefcase were not project specific. In fact, Mr. Speaker, they were project specific but they did not involve national security. I just wanted to set the record straight.

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

Noon

Scarborough—Rouge River Ontario

Liberal

Derek Lee LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the associate membership of some standing committees. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the ninth report later this day.

Corrections And Conditional Release ActRoutine Proceedings

Noon

Reform

Chuck Cadman Reform Surrey North, BC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-328, an act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (withdrawal of applications for full parole by offenders serving two or more years.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lethbridge for seconding the bill.

I am pleased to reintroduce this private member's bill, formerly designated Bill C-388 in the previous session, which seeks to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.

There is no provision in the current legislation to prevent offenders from withdrawing an application for parole at any time, right up to the actual commencement of the hearing and then they can reapply immediately.

As I said previously, many victims of crimes expend enormous emotional and perhaps financial resources in preparing to attend parole hearings which are frequently held far from their homes.

In addition, significant time, effort and money is expended by authorities to facilitate the hearings. There is no good reason why offenders should have complete control over a process that burdens taxpayers and revictimizes victims.

These amendments will place a consequence on offenders who withdraw applications for parole at the last moment for no good reason. Unless there is reasonable and valid grounds for withdrawal, the offender will be barred from reapplying for a period of two years.

Corrections And Conditional Release ActRoutine Proceedings

Noon

The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)

Members know that the introduction of a bill is normally just to summarize the intent of the bill, not to defend or go beyond that.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

Scarborough—Rouge River Ontario

Liberal

Derek Lee LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to)

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

Reform

Gurmant Grewal Reform Surrey Central, BC

Mr. Speaker, I want to present two petitions with 100 names on them. These petitions are from concerned Canadians, mostly from my constituency of Surrey Central.

The petition is about the development and safety of children put into jeopardy because of the B.C. Court of Appeal decision that made the possession of child pornography legal. The petitioners are asking why parliament was not recalled immediately to invoke section 33 of the charter of rights and freedoms, the notwithstanding clause to override a B.C. court decision, and to ensure that the possession of child pornography in B.C. is illegal. The careless, heartless government that lacks vision is constitutionally inept. The Liberals cannot change the constitution, but this is their position. I am proud to present it.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I have the pleasure to table a petition signed by 854 residents of Quebec, and in particular the Greater Montreal area.

The petitioners call upon the Canadian government, which has a seat on the UN security council, to pressure the council to have peacekeepers sent to East Timor as soon as possible.

This petition was signed before the House had reconvened and, in the meantime, the United Nations has organized and sent to East Timor a peacekeeping mission in which Canada is taking part.

I still thought, however, that it was important for me to table this petition, since it reflects the concerns of many of our constituents about the situation that prevailed at that time and that still prevails, albeit to a lesser degree, in East Timor.

In the same spirit, I have the pleasure to present another petition about the situation in East Timor, this one is signed by 1,771 residents of Quebec, and in particular the Greater Montreal area.

Stressing the many abuses committed against the East Timorese people, the petitioners also indicate that these people have democratically voted in favour of self-determination and the results of these elections have been recognized by the Canadian government.

Besides asking the Canadian government to urge the United Nations to send peacekeepers to East Timor, the petitioners want major economic sanctions to be taken against Indonesia.

On top of these two petitions, signed by a total of 2,625 Canadians, I will have the pleasure to directly hand over to the Minister of Foreign Affairs 72 circular letters dealing with this very same issue.