Debates of Dec. 3rd, 2001

International Co-operation

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Special UNICEF representative Sally Armstrong has been visiting Afghan refugee camps over the past 10 days. Her finding is “Nearly all the children are sick”.

Although the world has been well aware for a long time that a major problem was developing, the Minister for International Cooperation continues to boast of the government's generosity, yet it has made no real effort. Its contribution to Afghanistan is limited to some $16 million, which is far from adequate.

Does the minister not think it is high time she put an end to her empty words and launched an extraordinary offensive to deal with an extraordinary situation?

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Minister for International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, it is very easy to jump to conclusions. The reality is that getting food into Afghanistan is still not safe.

In addition to money, CIDA is also providing logistical assistance to the world food program. We provided vitamins and immunization to 4.5 million children in Afghanistan even while the bombing was going on, and to 27 million children in Pakistan which will also assist with the nutritional problems. We are working on many different fronts.

The reality is that we need to get into Afghanistan much more quickly and much more aggressively.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the need is both immense and immediate. Aid must be directed urgently and rapidly and the government must assume a lead role in this.

Could the minister tell us what her specific plan for Afghanistan is and what she plans to do to ensure that help gets there?

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Minister for International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, under the current situation we are working very closely with the UNHCR, UNICEF, OXFAM, the world food program and the Red Cross to try to get food in as quickly as possibly to the most remote areas. It is not easy. As we know, the security situation is still difficult.

We are providing a logistical scheme to the world food program, as I said, from Canada, the Canadian light infantry team to remove snow from mountain passes which lead to some areas. At the same time, we need to bring calm and stability to the area in order for us to really go in, with all the expatriates from Afghanistan, to really go in and to really work with the people to ensure that health programs as well as food are provided.

Immigration

[Paul Forseth, Canadian Alliance, New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the immigration minister has let the country down. She has repeatedly stood in her place promising the House and Canadians that she would detain people of concern at our borders.

Immigration officers say that they had to release about 500 undocumented refugee claimants of the 1,000 who showed up in November at Pearson airport.

On the very day we are signing a border agreement and the Americans are fortifying their sovereignty, why is the minister failing to protect Canada?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, not only did Sun Media not check the facts but the member opposite needs a new researcher because his facts are wrong.

CIC did not release any suspected terrorists. We have sufficient capacity. If all the beds that CIC has are full, we have additional capacity from other departments and the province. Whenever we have evidence that anyone poses a security risk, we detain them. He should stop spreading those lies.

[Paul Forseth, Canadian Alliance, New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that is pretty unparliamentary.

The disconnect between what the minister says in the House and the reality at the border is shameful.

Canada says “we love New York” and today we sign an agreement with our American friends, yet at the Toronto airport we dishonour our word by releasing identified al-Qaeda suspects.

The minister day after day shows contempt for parliament and today dishonours our American guests.

Will the minister institute reverse onus detention for all undocumented refugee claimants? Yes or no.

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, there is not one shred of evidence that the allegations the member is making are true. In fact, they are false and if he has any evidence he should present it.

International Trade

[Serge Marcil, Liberal, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Dairy producers and processors throughout the country have been impatiently waiting for the WTO appeal body's decision on Canada's approach to price setting on dairy exports.

What was the appeal decision and what will its consequences be for the country?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to inform dairy producers, processors and exporters that New Zealand and the United States failed to prove that our programs for commercial export of milk were inconsistent. We won the appeal. The dairy industry will continue with business as usual. It is another example of a partnership between industry and government for a strong proposal and a strong case, and we won.

Health

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, if it was not clear before today it sure is now: Alberta is moving fast toward private hospitals. The health minister actually did dispatch his staff out west to fight a campaign. Where did he send them? To Alberta to fight privatization? No. He sent them to Manitoba to fight for his leadership aspirations.

I would like to know if the health minister could tell us what special project his special assistant, Satpreet Thiara, has been working on in Manitoba.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada is out there fighting across the country for the Canada Health Act and its principles, for public medicare.

If the member knows something about the report in Alberta, which has not yet been released, perhaps she will let us know.

Until then, we are going to wait until the government of Alberta releases its proposals and of course until it tells us what it intends to do about them.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should know we do not need his special staff in Manitoba to fight private hospitals. We are the only government in the country with strong legislation against private, for profit hospitals.

What we want to know is what he was sending his special staff there for with respect to the leadership campaign. The Prime Minister has read the riot act telling his ministers to get out there and do their jobs, yet here we have the minister doing the opposite.

It is important to ask, and the Minister of Veterans Affairs has suggested this, will the Prime Minister, or the Deputy Prime Minister today, announce an investigation into the events in Winnipeg this past weekend and the conduct of the health minister?

[The Speaker]

I have doubts that this question has much to do with the administrative responsibility of the government, but I will resolve the doubt at the moment in favour of the Deputy Prime Minister.

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in the same vein I think the first thing to do is to have the hon. member have an investigation into what happened at her own recent convention in that area. It would be very interesting for Canadians to find out why the party continues to decline in spite of the convention.

Terrorism

[Val Meredith, Canadian Alliance, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on September 11 many of the senior officers protecting U.S. airspace at NORAD were Canadians. Americans have never been concerned about sharing their protection with Canada.

Over one month ago the PC/DR coalition proposed joint border management to protect North America, a proposal echoed by the Coalition for Secure and Trade Efficient Borders.

Why did the government not follow up on this initiative to assure Americans that their northern border was secure?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is really out to lunch on this one. If I may quote the attorney general of the United States, he said, speaking of the border between Canada and the United States “It's the longest peaceful wonderfully co-operative border”.

That is a real endorsement of the status of our relationship and the hon. member ought to catch up with things before she embarrasses herself further.

[Val Meredith, Canadian Alliance, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the United States is sending troops and helicopters to protect its northern border. No matter how the Liberals might try to sugar coat it, this is not a good thing.

The Americans obviously perceive that their security is threatened because of this government's inability to enter into a comprehensive border security agreement. Is the government's solution to border management U.S. helicopter gunships and the national guard?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Attorney General Ashcroft said publicly in Detroit this morning that he is not interested in militarizing the border. He wants to have the national guard continue what it has been doing since September 11 and that is help their overstressed immigration and customs inspectors move people and goods quickly across the border. The national guard is there while they recruit additional inspectors and train them. It is not because of a lack of confidence in Canada, but her question indicates why Canadians have a lack of confidence in her and her colleagues.

[Vic Toews, Canadian Alliance, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday Abdellah Ouzghar, convicted by a French court of using falsified passports, of falsifying passports and of associating with terrorist organizations, was released on bail by an Ontario judge. Mr. Ouzghar was being held in custody on an extradition warrant from France.

Does the minister of immigration agree with the judge's comments on the shortcomings of the French legal system in ordering Mr. Ouzghar's release?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that my lawyers were in court fighting the bail application on the part of Mr. Ouzghar.

We have to respect the decision of the court in this case, but I do want to reassure Canadians that the court imposed very stiff conditions on bail in relation to Mr. Ouzghar.

[Vic Toews, Canadian Alliance, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is not the decision we are talking about. It is whether she agrees with the comments made in respect of the policies relating to the French legal system.

The war against terrorism requires the co-operation of all civilized nations. The comments of this judge in respect of the French legal system are very disturbing, and what we want to know, simply put, is, does she agree with the suggestion that unless they mirror Canadian standards we will not honour our international extradition requirements?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, let me reassure everyone in the House that while the French criminal justice system is different from ours, we have nothing but the greatest respect for the way the French run their criminal justice system.

In fact we have received a formal extradition request from the French government and we will be proceeding in relation to their extradition request in a timely fashion.

Air Transportation

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the papers on the weekend reported the remarks by the president of WestJet, who said that if the government wanted to promote competition it had to help new air carriers.

Will the Minister of Transport finally acknowledge the facts, change his position and arrange to have the government support existing small regional carriers and the founding of new companies to compete with Air Canada?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we are not prepared to give financial assistance to carriers, to new carriers. I think the market will develop competition and that there are many throughout Canada prepared to invest in the air transportation system.