House of Commons Hansard #50 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was smoking.

Topics

JusticeOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member should know, Bill C-15, which includes a section in relation to home invasions, will be debated in the House on Monday.

I look forward to the hon. member's support to speed Bill C-15 through passage in the House.

JusticeOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Chuck Cadman Canadian Alliance Surrey North, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is mired in an omnibus bill. On another issue, some members of the immigrant community in my constituency paid me a visit a few weeks ago.

Their complaint was that recently introduced legislation does not go far enough. It only removes charitable status from organizations that fund terrorism. It does not stop the actual funding of terrorism.

My constituents want a law that actually makes the funding of terrorism illegal. Will the government commit to such a law in the near future?

JusticeOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Waterloo—Wellington Ontario

Liberal

Lynn Myers LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the government has gone on record repeatedly condemning terrorism and the kinds of things that take place as a result of it.

We will bring in the tools necessary to ensure that we have the kind of capability to make sure that this precisely does not happen. It is a strength of the government, ensuring that it puts to rest those kinds of activities in the proper way.

Foreign AidOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

John McCallum Liberal Markham, ON

Mr. Speaker, those of us who think that Canada should increase foreign aid to less developed countries were dismayed to read in the press that in fact we seem to be going the other way.

Our overseas development assistance which was 0.28% of gross domestic product in 1999 fell to 0.25% last year. Could the minister explain to the House what is going on?

Foreign AidOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Beaches—East York Ontario

Liberal

Maria Minna LiberalMinister for International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, the government increased the budget by $435 million in the year 2000. In fact we are doing a great deal more in development.

The economy is growing much faster and that is why there is a difference in numbers. We are doing more. In the Speech from the Throne, as all members know, there was a major commitment to increase ODA yet again for Canada. I am very hopeful that will happen.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

James Moore Canadian Alliance Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has testified in court of a known terrorist, murderer and gangster living in Canada.

Instead of carrying though with his deportation, Mr. Rat Naval was allowed to stay in Canada because he caused a fuss during deportation when he was boarding a plane.

Why is he still in Canada? Do Canadians not deserve a better standard of public safety from the government than what we are seeing?

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Gatineau Québec

Liberal

Mark Assad LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the member knows that we do not discuss particular cases in a public forum.

The process is very simple. When serious criminality or terrorism is involved, officials seek to continue the detention of these individuals. The department also seeks detentions of those likely to disappear and those who pose a danger.

The decision to detain or release rests with an independent adjudicator of the Immigration and Refugee Board which considers case specific information before making a final decision. That is the process.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

James Moore Canadian Alliance Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Rat Naval was ordered deported from Canada on April 5 and is now comfortable in his home in Markham.

As the minister makes weak excuses, public safety is being jeopardized by the government. Why is the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration not doing her job? Why is she allowing known terrorists and assassins to make Canada their safe haven from justice?

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Gatineau Québec

Liberal

Mark Assad LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, we have a process and we respect it. It is the law. If an independent adjudicator takes a specific case and renders a decision, I cannot see why we should interfere.

Gasoline PricingOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Pierre Brien Bloc Témiscamingue, QC

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the cost of gasoline is of major concern to the people of Quebec and of Canada.

The Minister of Industry seems somewhat confused about his responsibilities in this area, yet he ought to know that the Competition Act is federal.

Is the government going to recognize that the Competition Act lacks teeth and that it is high time it began to protect the citizen and consumer instead of the major oil companies?

Gasoline PricingOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Scarborough Centre Ontario

Liberal

John Cannis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, the confusion is from the Bloc Quebecois. The Competition Act, when evidence is brought forward, acts accordingly.

A year ago there were record fines, but when it comes to gasoline pricing the member should talk to Mr. Landry. They did control the price of gasoline before. They can do it again should they wish to.

VolunteersOral Question Period

Noon

Liberal

Beth Phinney Liberal Hamilton Mountain, ON

Mr. Speaker, since public safety is such an important part of our Canadian identity, could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General tell us how our public safety agencies are tapping into the goodwill of Canadian volunteers?

VolunteersOral Question Period

Noon

Waterloo—Wellington Ontario

Liberal

Lynn Myers LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, Canada is one of the safest countries in the world. This is partly due not only to our great institutions but to the people who assist those people in those institutions, especially our volunteers.

In the case of the solicitor general's portfolio, we have the largest number of volunteers who support us, people like elders, people who are supporting victims, people who are assisting offenders and people who are working with the auxiliary of the RCMP in very meaningful ways. They deserve the gratitude not only of the House but the entire nation. These are unsung heroes.

JusticeOral Question Period

Noon

Canadian Alliance

Deepak Obhrai Canadian Alliance Calgary East, AB

Mr. Speaker, the justice minister talked about victims of crime. Let us stop having victims of crime.

On May 1, I will introduce a private member's bill asking for a minimum two year sentence for repeat break and enter offenders. Eighty per cent of these crimes are committed by repeat break and enter offenders. The bill is being introduced to stop this cycle of crime and business.

I am asking the minister if she will support the bill.

JusticeOral Question Period

Noon

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Liberal

Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is an experienced member. He has been here several years. One would think that he would know that private members' items are just that, private members' items. He would also know that it is obviously not the position of the government to comment on the vote of any individual member on any individual item before the House at private members' hour.

Tax TreatiesOral Question Period

Noon

Bloc

Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to the auditor general, international activities by Canadian taxpayers, particularly their use of tax shelters, constitute one of the greatest threats to the tax base.

The OECD is even calling for countries that have signed tax treaties with other countries with harmful tax practices, such as Barbados, to withdraw from them.

How can the government remain unmoved by this statement from the auditor general, and why does Canada not immediately withdraw from its tax treaty with Barbados, as recommended by the OECD?

Tax TreatiesOral Question Period

Noon

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, Canada has played and continues to play a lead role within the OECD.

In this connection, as the hon. member must be aware, there is real agreement between all countries involved, that is to say all of them are going to take multilateral action, not unilateral. That is the only way to solve the problem.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

April 27th, 2001 / noon

The Speaker

I wish to draw to the attention of all hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture for the province of Nova Scotia.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

Noon

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

Canadian Alliance

Dick Harris Canadian Alliance Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, during a question period response the Minister of Finance made a statement that I know he realizes is erroneous when he said that the official opposition was spending research money on spies.

I know the Minister of Finance knows that is an incorrect statement. I will not harp on it much longer. I will ask him to withdraw that statement, which he knows is wrong.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

The Speaker

It sounds to me as though there is a matter of debate here. I think the way people spend money is not something that is the subject of the jurisdiction of the Chair.

Perhaps the Minister of Finance has something he would like to say to illumine the House on the subject. Otherwise I am inclined to suggest that the matter is not really a point of order.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

Scarborough Centre Ontario

Liberal

John Cannis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, there was a question asked of me during question period by a member of the Alliance. In my response to whether Mr. Jonas Prince had received any funding, I responded that to my knowledge he had not.

I want to clarify for the record that Industry Canada, in its preliminary look, indicated that no funding was given to Mr. Jonas Prince.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

Canadian Alliance

Dick Harris Canadian Alliance Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, on my point of order, I did not want to debate whether the finance minister made the comment or not. Indeed, the record will show that he did. All I was asking is that he realize he made a mistake and withdraw the comment.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

12:05 p.m.

The Speaker

I think there are always allegations made back and forth in the House, and this one sounds like maybe it was one of those, if that is the way it was. I will review the blues and if there appears to be any problem, I will certainly get back to the House.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

12:05 p.m.

Scarborough—Rouge River Ontario

Liberal

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

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the standing orders of the House, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to two petitions.