Debates of Nov. 8th, 2002

David Collenette Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I can see now why the hon. member has chosen to retire. I do not think anyone with any ounce of intelligence would give any shrift to that kind of question.

Chuck Cadman Surrey North, BC

Mr. Speaker, we routinely suspend the constitutional right to liberty for those convicted of a criminal offence. Outraged Canadians are saying that individuals incarcerated for violating the Criminal Code should not have a hand in writing it by being allowed to vote.

The Canadian Police Association has asked the government for a royal commission into the prison system in general and to immediately remedy the injustice caused by the Supreme Court decision ruling on the voting rights of prisoners. Will the government honour the request made by 28,000 police officers?

Don Boudria Minister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member asked two different questions. I will answer the one about the Canada Elections Act.

That issue is being examined right now by officials. I have indicated that in the past, because of course it is an issue that concerns a number of members, including the hon. member for Provencher, who, by the way, when he was the provincial minister in Manitoba, permitted provincial prisoners the right to vote. He forgot to say that the other day.

Chuck Cadman Surrey North, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court decision stunned Canadians by giving federal prisoners the right to vote last week. Defenders of the decision say that the relatively small number of inmates will make no electoral difference. This is not about numbers. It is about principle.

Killers take away the voting rights of their victims forever. Why is it such a stretch to suspend their right to vote while they are incarcerated? Will the Minister of Justice immediately introduce a constitutional amendment to rectify this affront to victims of crime and to all law-abiding citizens?

Don Boudria Minister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, this is a Supreme Court decision. It is not even one that can be overridden by, as he knows, the notwithstanding clause, the way his critic was suggesting the other day, while forgetting that, at the same time, when he was the provincial minister in Manitoba, he was permitting provincial prisoners the right to vote.

This is still of concern to us. I told the hon. member that we were examining the situation very carefully. It is one that is of concern to the government, and not just the kind of nonsense we are hearing.

Claude Drouin Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)

Mr. Speaker, as I said this week in the House, meetings were held with the Economic Development Agency, on November 4 and 5. We are working with stakeholders. I would appreciate it if, instead of looking for someone to put the blame on, the Bloc Quebecois member would work with local people to find solutions to help the region. This is how we should work and this is what we are committed to doing on this side of the House.

Claude Drouin Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)

Mr. Speaker, I am taking this opportunity to congratulate our colleague, the hon. member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, who worked very hard to ensure the completion of highway 175, with the help of the Canadian government.

Decisions are not made by the opposition, but by the government. It is we who showed that we cared about highway 175 and the development of the region.

This is what we will do with workers from the Agropur plant when the meeting with them and Agropur takes place to decide what will happen next. We will support these people in their decisions, along with the stakeholders and the Economic Development Agency.

Sheila Copps Minister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, we passed a law in the House a couple of years ago on the question of the ecological integrity of parks. It would be absolutely ludicrous for a minister of the crown who has no experience in veterinary or medicine to be making decisions on tuberculosis. In fact, those decisions are made by scientists.

I would certainly be very happy to sit down with anyone who feels aggrieved by this process, but the suggestion that I should be making decisions on TB is not very logical.

Rob Merrifield Yellowhead, AB

Mr. Speaker, reports this week suggest that Iraq and North Korea have the smallpox virus. The U.S. has a plan to vaccinate every man, woman and child in the United States within five days of an outbreak.

It takes six months to produce a new vaccine and we have not even ordered it yet.

The Americans take this threat seriously. Why do we not take it seriously?

Jeannot Castonguay Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe that the hon. member would say that we are not taking this threat seriously. Since September 11, we have been taking very important measures to ensure that, in the unlikely event of a bioterrorist attack, we can deal with the situation.

As for the specific issue of smallpox, we are well aware that, should an outbreak occur, our part of the world would not be the only one affected. This would be a planetary problem. This is why we have begun to make representations to countries all over the world to ensure that if such an outbreak were to occur, we would share information and use a joint approach to control it.

Mac Harb Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, municipalities are faced with a very serious problem when it comes to water and sewage systems and transportation. They are wondering whether or not the government plans some initiatives in order to lower the burden on Canadian municipalities.

Could the secretary of state responsible for rural development tell the House what he has in his coffers for Canadian municipalities?