House of Commons Hansard #37 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was farmers.

Topics

Canada Pension PlanOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. leader of the New Democratic Party.

Canada Pension PlanOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, consistency has never been part of the Liberal vocabulary. That is for sure. On the one hand government claims that it wants to prevent our kids from smoking. On the other hand government does not rule out investing their parents' money in big tobacco.

To be consistent and to prevent our kids from smoking, will the finance minister recommit today to promoting an ethical screen on our CPP investments?

Canada Pension PlanOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, we are prepared to discuss the possibility of having those kinds of limitations, but we do not in any way, shape or form want to interfere with the independence of those who will be making investments on behalf of Canadian pensioners. That is very important.

As far as the issue of smoking is concerned, we have made it very clear as a government that we will take whatever measures are required in terms of education and in terms of demonstrating to young Canadians that they should not smoke.

National UnityOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, given the Prime Minister's unilateral provocative legislative action against Quebec, my question is for the man who desperately wants to succeed him.

Does the Minister of Finance enthusiastically support the most recent legislative action against Quebec?

National UnityOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, this law is not against Quebec. This law is in favour of giving people of Quebec the right to make their own decisions.

This law is in favour of the people of Quebec and I support this law unequivocally.

National UnityOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Diane St-Jacques Progressive Conservative Shefford, QC

Mr. Speaker, does the President of the Treasury Board intend to leave the government after what the Prime Minister has done to Quebec?

National UnityOral Question Period

11:30 a.m.

Westmount—Ville-Marie Québec

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, let me tell you how disappointed I am at the Conservative Party's talk of action against Quebec.

Never will we do anything against Quebec, but never again will we permit the confusion we faced in 1995, and I would hope that the Conservative members support clarity as well.

Airline IndustryOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Reform

Val Meredith Reform South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC

Mr. Speaker, the agreement between Air Canada and Canadian Airlines will create one dominant carrier that controls 80% of the airline business in Canada.

The transport committee provided the government with a number of recommendations that strike a balance between protecting the public interest and fostering healthy competition. Now is the time for the government to show that it is truly committed to competition in the airline industry in Canada.

Will the minister indicate to the airline industry and the travelling public that he wants competition in the airline industry in Canada by immediately raising the foreign ownership component from 25% to 49%?

Airline IndustryOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member; especially the hon. member for Hamilton West, the chairman of the Commons committee; and all those who took part in this debate. They did an outstanding job and they have produced a report that will have a definite effect on government policy.

I have said many times before that we believe in competition. We want to make sure the rights of consumers and prices are dealt with and that we guarantee to the travelling public in Canada that this new carrier will work to our benefit.

AirportsOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Reform

Jim Gouk Reform West Kootenay—Okanagan, BC

Mr. Speaker, when the government downloaded all its money losing airports to local governments in 1994, it removed the onsite airport firefighting requirement.

Now that local governments have their airports operating cost effectively, the government wants to reintroduce onsite firefighting requirements. This move will force most small airport operations into a deficit.

Recent studies indicate that the benefits from these services are marginally sufficient to justify their costs at the 28 busiest national airports.

Why is the government proposing to reintroduce this requirement for 123 local airports when its own studies indicate that they are of marginal benefit for the 28 national busiest airports in the country?

AirportsOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will recall that this matter came to the fore in the aftermath of the very tragic accident in Fredericton when we started to assess all of the emergency response measures across the country including firefighting regulations.

It is true that we have to strike a balance between providing adequate protection and the ability of the local airports, especially in small towns, to pay for that. As a result there have been consultations within the industry, with the airport community and with firefighters to ensure that we come up with a regulation that does not hamstring those communities and does not mean that they do not have the ability to pay for these very valuable services.

ReferendumsOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to the President of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister, this is marvellous legislation for Quebec.

That being the case, how does the government explain to us and those listening that there was no agreement between the parliamentary leaders as is normally the case, that everything was kept secret, and that the government position changed overnight? This morning we have a surprise tabling. The bill was put together overnight.

If it is a good bill, why is the procedure so different from what is usually done? Why is this taking place behind the curtains, in the shadows, under cover of night?

ReferendumsOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Liberal

Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I had occasion to discuss this matter with the member a bit earlier today.

He knows very well that I called a meeting of the leaders of all parties a bit earlier this morning—there was a leak, which was certainly not the doing of the government; as a matter of fact, we had nothing to gain from it—for the purpose of informing the member.

He also knows very well that, for the last three days, in terms of parliamentary procedure, parliament has not sat, with the result that there was not even an opportunity to give notice that this bill was being officially introduced.

ReferendumsOral Question Period

11:35 a.m.

Bloc

Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is proper procedure. I want to remind the government House leader that, up until yesterday evening, his office was confirming to mine that there was no question of a bill like this.

That was the government's position at 7 p.m. yesterday evening. At 7 a.m. this morning, Quebec is betrayed. That is what has happened.

ReferendumsOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. Things are apparently going to be very emotional today. I would ask all members on both sides of the House not to use words like “betray”.

ReferendumsOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

ReferendumsOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

The Speaker

The government House leader.

ReferendumsOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Liberal

Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I have great respect for the hon. member opposite, as he very well knows.

I already told him a bit earlier today that it was impossible to give notice earlier this week. I told him this a bit earlier, and he knows it perfectly well. I had wanted to give notice that would have allowed the bill to be formally introduced.

No notice was given until this morning. This morning it became possible. I signed the notice roughly 30 minutes ago. In fact, it was stamped at 11.10 a.m. and gives official notice that the bill will be formally introduced next week.

Tobacco ProductsOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Reform

Keith Martin Reform Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting that the finance minister believes his government has done all that it can to stop smoking.

The health minister is under the same delusion. In an article he wrote yesterday he believes that his government is in favour of health promotion. The facts are that on this government's watch a quarter of a million children have picked up smoking. It has reversed a 15 year trend of decline in smoking.

How can the government and its ministers say they are promoting health when through their actions smoking by children has increased over the last five years?

Tobacco ProductsOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

An hon. member

There is nobody home.

Tobacco ProductsOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Willowdale Ontario

Liberal

Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, our government has been dedicated to trying to stop smoking. We have increased the taxes on cigarettes four times in collaboration with the provinces.

The Reform Party should come clean with us. We know that the member opposite has called for massive increases in cigarette taxes and is oblivious to smuggling issues. If that is the case, does his party agree with him? Why is it criticizing our cigarette tax increases on its website?

TransportOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Reform

John Duncan Reform Vancouver Island North, BC

Mr. Speaker, somebody will be home for this question.

B.C. municipal governments and others are complaining about Department of Transport strong arm negotiating tactics and threats of demolition in attempts to transfer over 50 west coast docks.

For example, the dock at Ahousat is in great shape for at least another 10 years. It is the only large boat dock in the area. It is an essential port in a storm with a replacement value of $300,000. Why is the department planning to spend $130,000 to demolish it?

TransportOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, with great respect this is really an order paper question. I will certainly get the detailed answer to the hon. member at the earliest convenience to him.

ReferendumsOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps referring to the need for a clear question to justify the federal government's involvement in the Quebec referendum process, while he likes to conduct his business in a murky and secretive way, as he did in 1982.

To make a judgment on the clarity of the question involves determining whether that question will be understood by those who will vote on it. It is a judgment of a cultural nature.

My question is for the Prime Minister. What makes the federal parliament better able to assess the clarity of the question than the Quebec national assembly?

ReferendumsOral Question Period

11:40 a.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the national assembly may ask any question it wants. We are simply saying that once the question will be put the Parliament of Canada and the House of Commons will see if it complies with the supreme court ruling. It is as simple as that.

We want a clear question and a clear result. These conditions were imposed on us by the supreme court and we want to comply with the court's ruling. I hope the Bloc Quebecois will do the same.

We are simply respecting the supreme court ruling.