R. John Efford

[Criminal Code, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, what does it take to get through to the hon. member that the individuals, very competent individuals, on the panel do not make the decision about lifting the moratorium?

The process to be followed is to consult with the people of British Columbia, with the communities, with the stakeholders, gather all the information and bring it back to the Minister of Natural Resources, who will in turn bring it to the Government of Canada to make a decision. The hon. member just does not understand the process that has to be followed.

He also does not speak for all of the people in British Columbia. I have been in British Columbia on several occasions. On no occasion during my visits to British Columbia has anybody complained about the panel or suggested that we should not be following due process.

[Criminal Code, March 24th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, in the hon. member's short remarks he mentioned two or three issues.

First, I would like to talk about lifting the moratorium. Absolutely no decision has been made to lift the moratorium on the west coast of Canada. I will talk about that further in a second.

Let me go back to the issue of offshore oil and gas. I am from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador where the offshore oil and gas industry has been very successful. Since the first well was drilled up until the present day, the fishing industry, the marine industry and the offshore oil and gas industry have all worked well together off the east coast of Canada. There have been absolutely no problems whatsoever.

In the Gulf of Mexico, 40,000 wells have been drilled and there have been no major problems.

Let me now talk about the offshore oil and gas industry on the west coast of this country.

Right now one process has taken place and two more are to be completed. The Royal Society of Canada has already completed its comprehensive review. This review was conducted by an intellectual group of scientists who have given their report. The second report that is supposed to be done is the Priddle report. Individuals are consulting with communities and people and will bring their report back to the government. The third report that will be done will be done in consultation with first nations.

When those three reports are completed they will be provided to the government. One has already come back to the government and the other two will come back when they are completed. As the Minister of Natural Resources I will take their recommendation to government and then we will make a decision based on all of the information collected as to whether the moratorium will be lifted.

I am appalled that the hon. member is suggesting that individuals be fired because they are collecting information. He should be providing input to the panels. He should be making presentations. I have been Minister of Natural Resources since December 12 and there has not been one occasion that the hon. member has come to me and asked to have a meeting to discuss the potential of offshore oil off the west coast of Canada, to discuss the panels or to discuss the procedure, and yet he goes out in public and makes statements telling us that we should be firing people. I will not. I have no intentions of firing these individuals.

Mr. Priddle, Mr. Scott, and Dr. Diana Valiela are all very competent individuals. They deserve respect for their ability to consult with the people of British Columbia. They have an obligation to bring back their recommendations to government. At the time they bring back their recommendations, it will be the government's responsibility to make a decision.

The hon. member should respect their integrity and their ability and give them the opportunity to have their consultations. If he chooses to go out and make a presentation, he has every right to do so, but he does not have the right to condemn these individuals and their ability to do due process.

[Gasoline Prices, March 23rd, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, we have this issue under discussion. I have always been of the view that private industry and the prices in private industry should be determined on the market price. Also, each provincial government has an option to regulate gas prices. Two provinces in Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador and P.E.I., already have given that consideration.

We are looking at the issue, and we will make a decision some time in the near future.

[Natural Resources, March 12th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, in my almost 20 years in politics, I have never ducked any issue and the hon. member opposite knows that very well.

As the Minister of Finance just answered, we have taken it under consideration. We have had discussions with the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and we are not to be put on any timetable by the member opposite.

[Natural Resources, March 11th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I find it very unfavourable for the hon. member to stand in the House and make such derogatory comments about an individual with the capabilities of Mr. Priddle.

I have no intention of firing Mr. Priddle or removing him from his position. I have full confidence that he will do his job and bring back a report. He does not make the decisions. He will bring back a report to government and then we will make the decision.

[Cape Breton Development Corporation, February 18th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the question and for the work that he and his colleague from Sydney—Victoria have done on this file.

We would like to see this in a timely fashion. In 2003 the Superintendent of Financial Institutions directed Devco to appoint an arbitrator. That process is in place now and we hope to see a settlement in the very near future.

[Supply, February 17th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, I have been in the House now for several days listening to comments from the opposition, most recently the member for Saint John. On both sides of the House, regardless of what party members are from, we have the right to make a comment, we have the right to give a speech, and we have the right to ask a question. That is how democracy works.

But in making those statements or asking those questions, regardless of what one's position is, the information should be accurate. That is what the people across Canada expect.

I would ask the member this question. Is she not aware that the Prime Minister repeated the Auditor General's report when he said that there were 14 people in the bureaucracy involved? This was not the Prime Minister's statement. It was written in the Auditor General's report, and also--

[Agriculture, February 6th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member calls $5 billion in 2003 and $4 billion now as rhetoric, then I do not understand the question he is asking.

Money is flowing through. As we are talking now, the Minister of Agriculture is in Calgary today. The money will go directly to the farmers now, not next year.

[Agriculture, February 6th, 2004]

Mr. Speaker, as we are talking here in this hon. House today, the Minister of Agriculture is out in Calgary meeting with the farmers.

In 2003, $5 billion flowed through the agriculture industry and the farming industry in Canada. As we are talking here today, the minister is out there ensuring that money will be flowing to the farmers as soon as they make the request and all the farmers who will be impacted will receive sufficient moneys.

[Millennium Excellence Award, June 12th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation has announced its excellence awards for 2003-04. I am honoured to congratulate students from my riding of Bonavista--Trinity--Conception in recognition of their academic achievement, service to the community, leadership, and interest in innovation.

Jillian Croke, a student of St. Gabriel's All Grade School in St. Brendan's will receive a national level excellence award worth $5,000, renewable for up to three additional years to a maximum of $20,000.

Jonathan White, a student Lester Pearson Memorial High School in Wesleyville, will receive a one-time local award of $4,000.

MacKenzie Young, a student at Heritage Collegiate in Lethbridge, will receive a one-time local award of $4,000.

I am extremely proud that the federal government has been able to support such dynamic young people as Canada's future lies in our youth.