Sophia Leung

[Petitions, December 10th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition to the House on behalf of Canadians from across the country. Many thousands of individuals have signed it. They ask parliament to take action to address human rights violations against the Chinese minority in Indonesia.

I hope the presentation of this petition today on the eve of the international day of human rights will draw attention to this important issue.

[Social Services, December 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, last weekend I was very pleased to attend an adult education graduation ceremony at the Success Social Service Centre in Vancouver. This 25 year old community organization offers services for immigrant settlement, family counselling, language training and job training programs.

I was honoured to present to the organization a grant as part of the Canada-B.C. infrastructure works program. I say congratulations to Success for its ongoing dedication to individual empowerment and community bridge building and to the federal and B.C. governments for supporting its work.

[2010 Winter Olympics, December 1st, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that the Vancouver-Whistler bid was chosen today as Canada's official entry for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The voting was close with 20 votes for Calgary, 25 for Quebec City and 26 for Vancouver-Whistler.

This is extremely exciting news for British Columbia and all Canadians as I believe the Canadian bid will have an excellent chance of being chosen as the site for the 2010 Olympics.

The bid received excellent support from the public, sport and business communities, and from the local and provincial governments of B.C.

I thank those who played a part in making Vancouver-Whistler the official Canadian entry for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. I hope to see them all in 2010.

[Chinese Cultural Centre Of Vancouver, November 30th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday I was very pleased to attend the 25th anniversary of the Chinese Cultural Centre of Vancouver. This organization has worked successfully for 25 years in Vancouver to build bridges of understanding and intercultural exchange in B.C.

I was honoured to present the organization with a grant of $250,000 to construct a presentation theatre as part of its new $3.7 million cultural facility. The money was granted as part of the Canada-B.C. infrastructure works program which funded over 400 projects valued at $675 million and created more than 9,000 jobs.

I congratulate the Chinese Culture Centre for its work in celebrating Canadian diversity.

[Foreign Affairs, November 25th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and a Canadian delegation attended the APEC meeting in Malaysia and visited China recently.

In Malaysia the Prime Minister raised his concern over the mistreatment of the Deputy Prime Minister there. In China we were able to develop a closer relationship with Chinese political leaders in the areas of business, education and culture.

We witnessed the signing of 46 commercial agreements worth over $720 million. As well, Canada extended practical assistance of CIDA projects in isolated regions, including a clean water project in the Gansu Province.

Congratulations to the Prime Minister for his constructive work in Asian countries.

[The Nisga'A Agreement, November 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day. The Nisga'a people are beginning to vote on an issue which they have pursued with determination and honour for over a century, the Nisga'a final agreement.

My colleague, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, is currently in northern British Columbia meeting with students, business and community leaders to discuss the importance of the Nisga'a agreement.

The treaty-making process in B.C. is a modern approach to reflecting aboriginal rights that are protected in the Constitution. It also reaffirms the government's commitment to the inherent right of self-government, working in partnership to strengthen the relationship between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people in Canada.

On behalf of the Government of Canada I extend my best wishes as they go through this historic—

[Apec, November 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In November Canada will be attending an APEC meeting in Malaysia. What is our government doing to support the participation of citizens and NGOs in the Asia Pacific people's assembly during the APEC meeting?

[Canadian Steel, Chinese Grit, October 28th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to announce the parliamentary premier of the film Canadian Steel, Chinese Grit on November 4. The documentary is a China-Canada joint production recognizing the role of Chinese workers in building the CPR.

The film reveals the lives of those courageous Chinese pioneers. It shows that their contribution to Canadian political and economic development has left a legacy that deserves a special place in Canadian history.

[Canada Customs And Revenue Agency Act, October 27th, 1998]

Madam Speaker, employees, their unions and managers all agree that the current human resources framework of Revenue Canada is not suitable to meet their needs and those of the department and the clients. Employees want profound change in the human resources management system, yet they want principles such as fairness and equity protected.

Managers faced with the prospect of ever increasing workloads want the flexibility of a human resources system that recognizes the nature of the work that must be done and that permits innovative ways to provide tax, customs and trade administration services.

To its credit, the Public Service of Canada has taken several initiatives to reform itself and to provide better services to Canadians, but none of the alternative service delivery models developed to date can meet the unique requirements of Revenue Canada, its clients and its employees.

The departmental agency status, as set out in Bill C-43, will permit a human resources framework that can be customized precisely for Revenue Canada's employees and clients.

Since the announcement in the Speech from the Throne of February 1996 to create a tax, customs and trade administration agency, the department has been meeting regularly with its employees to develop a human resources vision for the future.

Six working groups were established during 1997 to look at the key aspects of human resources management. Approximately 7,000 Revenue Canada employees, including managers and union members, were contacted directly for their suggestions, ideas and consideration.

The most important findings were the need for human resources management based on values and principles rather than complex rules and processes, the importance of simplicity and flexibility in all aspects of human resources management, and the requirement to value employees.

Concurrent with these consultations, the legislative framework was developed for the new agency taking into account what the working groups said. As it presently stands, the Treasury Board of Canada and the Public Service Commission have different responsibilities for various human resources matters in Revenue Canada.

Bill C-43 will establish an agency that would be a separate employer under the Public Service Staff Relations Act with the authority to bargain directly with its union. The agency would have the authority for personnel management matters such as classification, training and development, terms and conditions of employment, and travel allowances, currently the responsibility of the Treasury Board under the Financial Administration Act.

The agency would no longer be subject to the Public Service Employment Act. Therefore staffing and related matters would be subject to policies approved by its own board of management. This is an important change since for example recruitment that can now take anywhere from three to six months under the government's one system fits all approach could be reduced to less than four weeks in most cases.

The agency would develop its own staffing program in accordance with certain stated principles. The Public Service Commission would report to the agency on whether its staffing program was consistent with these principles which would be set out in the summary of the corporate business plan.

For any new human resources initiative, principles such as fairness and equity would always be safeguarded. For example, any new classification system would be designed to ensure gender neutrality, and all human resources policies would promote and reflect Canada's diversity.

At the present time the exact details of the human resources framework for the agency have not been worked out. A document of intent signed with the unions in December 1997 established how management and the unions would work together with employees to establish these details. Five design teams made up of managers and employees and with some union participants have already submitted reports on staffing, classification, recourse, training and development, and employment equity.

There are many possibilities created for employees because of the flexibility afforded by departmental agency status. For example, the reduction of the number of occupational groups and levels, a possibility under the new departmental agency status, would make it easier for employees to move between jobs, thus enhancing career mobility while addressing the business needs for the agency.

Agency control over the staffing process would mean that vacancies could be filled quicker and employees would not have to wait as long for promotions and transfers. One suggested improvement in working conditions would be more extensive use of flexible hours or work at home arrangements.

Of prime concern to most employees is what happens during the transition to new departmental agency status. Employees would remain public servants during and after the transition.

Agency employees would still have access to jobs in federal government departments. The agency would provide similar access to its jobs for persons in government departments. The Public Service Commission would have the opportunity to ensure that employees being hired by the agency met the requirements of the Public Service Employment Act.

Collective agreements in force at the time of the start up of the agency would be carried over until they are renegotiated. Existing unions would continue to represent employees for a period of 120 days after which time a new certification process would occur under the Public Service Staff Relations Act.

Employees would maintain their existing pay and benefit entitlements, including pension rights and leave credits. They would be given offers of their same positions with the same duties and have 60 days to accept or refuse those offers. An employee who refuses the offer would be given the benefits of the government's existing workforce adjustment policy for alternative service delivery situations.

Indeterminate employees would be given a two year employment guarantee beginning from their date of transfer to the agency. Term employees would continue under the same terms and conditions as before.

A union-management design team is presently developing recommendations for an employment adjustment policy designed specifically for the agency. I am very confident that the agency will be able to design a policy that will give its employees the protection they require.

What would life be like for employees in the new agency?

Based on the expected expansion in programs and services on behalf of the provinces and territories, many new types of opportunities would be created. New types of programs and services would require new working relationships and new ways of performing work, including the expanded use of technology.

Continuing efforts to respond to client needs and demands would spawn a whole new work philosophy based on continuous learning and development. In fact, employees themselves are so convinced of this need that they suggest having a performance management system that links performance criteria to career development. They also proposed that managers under the agency be rated on their ability to support learning in the workplace.

[Immigration, October 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

I understand that the minister sets immigration targets each year in order to meet the needs of the Canadian population. For 1998 why is the department not expected to meet the immigration targets?