House of Commons Hansard #6 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was environmental.
Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
As usual, Mr. Speaker, this is a period for questions but not for answers.
My supplementary question is this: Does the minister intend to eliminate the real tax breaks enjoyed by very wealthy Canadians such as family trusts and tax shelters available to big business or, as Le Devoir was reporting this morning, to bow down to the rich friends of the Liberal Party who contribute to their electoral fund?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec
Mr. Speaker, there is no sense in repeating the same question as a supplementary. This question was also posed by the hon. member from the Reform Party.
So listen up, sir-
Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
Absolutely not. You have no right. No, Mr. Speaker, you do not have to listen.
Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
I am sure that you, Mr. Speaker, listened.
I will present my budget when I present it. It will certainly contain measures that were recommended during the meetings in question. That is why we hold these meetings.
Lee Morrison Reform Swift Current—Maple Creek—Assiniboia, SK
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.
On Thursday the Prime Minister refused to consider relaxing party discipline to permit members of Parliament to represent their constituents. In explaining his stand, the Prime Minister said that his party sticks together because it has all the right policies. Surely if this is the case he does not need the confidence convention to pass his legislative programs.
Does this mean that the government does not intend to honour its promise to allow more free votes in the House?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, of course there will be more free votes. Tomorrow something will be done in this House that has not been done for a long time. Before the government makes a decision, every member of Parliament will be invited to express his or her views about the Bosnia situation. This will not be done after the fact as it was in the past but before so members will have input.
I hope the hon. member appreciates the way we want to operate. We will have some free votes. Of course we want to do this, but it is probably also better to do what we are doing and give a chance to everybody before we decide. Members can speak on Bosnia and there will be no confidence vote on that. There will be the views expressed by the members before the government reaches a decision.
Lee Morrison Reform Swift Current—Maple Creek—Assiniboia, SK
Mr. Speaker, there was considerable music from the other side of the House when I was asking my question.
I would like to point out that I had the freedom to vote in respect to my constituents' wishes. I wonder if any of the members on the government side had that same option.
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Of course, Mr. Speaker. Yes, a big yes. They were all elected by very good majorities in the last election.
Charles Caccia Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, in view of the fact that there is considerable interest among Canadians about the report of the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies, entitled "Proceed with Care", published last November, and in view of the fact that several European Parliaments have already passed legislation on this subject, my question, which is either for the Minister of Health or for the Minister of Justice, is the following: could the responsible minister indicate whether she or he intends to introduce a bill on reproductive technologies and if so, when? Does she or he plan intensive consultation with interested Canadians and other levels of government?
Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question.
As he is no doubt aware, this report has some 293 recommendations, many of which have to do with provincial jurisdiction. I intend to discuss this report at an upcoming federal-provincial meeting of health ministers.
Also Health Canada is actively looking into bringing forward recommendations dealing with those issues we can deal with right away.
Jean-Paul Marchand Bloc Québec-Est, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture.
On several occasions, the minister said before all the agricultural organizations concerned that supply management in the agricultural sector would be fully protected. Even after the signing of GATT, the minister explained that this protection would be in the form of a higher tariff system.
Mr. Speaker, my question is: can we now conclude that the minister is still trying to protect supply management while he is currently negotiating with Americans the complete abolition, in the next seven years, of tariffs on yogurt and ice cream?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I do not know exactly what the source of the hon. member's question might be, but if it is based on
some of the speculation in the media about what may or may not be under discussion between Canada and the United States I would advise the hon. member that speculation is not entirely well-founded.
I would assure him that to the extent the ongoing discussions with the United States bear upon questions that have to do with supply management, the Government of Canada is acutely aware of the interests of all Canadian producers in this subject, especially the interests of producers in the province of Quebec where supply management forms a very large part of the agricultural industry in that province. In whatever discussions we may have with the United States the interests of those producers will be front and centre in our thinking.
When we are in a position to announce some conclusion to our discussions with the United States, members of the House will be the first to know.
Jean-Paul Marchand Bloc Québec-Est, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister has yet to admit to the negotiations but it is not a well kept secret. Everyone is well aware of the details and the Minister of Agriculture is surely aware that yogurt and ice cream represent a substantial percentage of Canadian agricultural production.
If these sectors are now sacrificed, is it not crystal clear to him as it is to everyone else in this country that we are asking Canadian farmers once again to pay the price for a global agreement in agriculture with the United States?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question. These discussions with the United States bearing on a number of agricultural commodities are presently ongoing. I am sure the hon. member will understand that I must for obvious reasons be rather guarded in what I say publicly.
I do not think it is appropriate for us to bargain long distance and perhaps in that way do some things that would potentially impair the Canadian position. I hope the hon. member will understand the need for some confidentiality.
I can say that ever since Canada unfortunately lost a GATT panel decision on its import quotas on ice cream and yogurt in 1989, all of us with the interests of agriculture at heart-and I am sure that includes members on both sides of this House-who sincerely want the best for agriculture have been very aware that this particular issue, because of that previous GATT panel ruling, would have to be resolved in one manner or another at some future date with the United States as we go about attempting to arrive at a solution.
Again I assure the hon. member and all farmers that the vital interests of Canadian agriculture in all parts of this country are very much on the top of the government's mind.
Deborah Grey Reform Beaver River, AB
Mr. Speaker, on Friday the Prime Minister said that members who do not wish to participate in the MP pension plan could opt out. I refer to Hansard , page 151. The right hon. Prime Minister said:
The member should not be worried at all if he does not contribute.
He mentioned this to my colleague from Kindersley-Lloydminster. However, in the Members' Allowances Manual, chapter F-2, volume II, it clearly states regarding retirement benefits:
Members contribute 11 per cent of their sessional indemnity toward the cost of their retirement benefits.
This contribution is mandatory, Mr. Speaker. When does the Prime Minister intend to allow MPs to genuinely opt out of the MP pension plan by making contributions optional, as he already apparently stated last Friday?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
I said in this House that we will make sure that those who do not want to participate in the plan can opt out. In the past I have seen some members voting against increases and taking the increase after that. We will make sure this time they will have to put their money where their mouths are.
Deborah Grey Reform Beaver River, AB
Well, Mr. Speaker, if we talk about future tense I will make mention again that he said the member should not be worried at all if he does not contribute.
My supplementary question for the Prime Minister is this. Has the Prime Minister informed the comptroller of his decision to allow members to opt out, as he just said, and when will he decide when this decision will be implemented?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as soon as the legislation is passed members who opt out will be reimbursed for the money they have contributed because the legislation will be retroactive to the beginning of this Parliament.
I am informed that the comptroller has to follow the law. But we will pay back the contribution and the member will not qualify any more. And, of course, the government will not pay its share of the contribution to the benefit of the members either.
Derek Wells Liberal South Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, I initially intended this question to be for the minister of fisheries but I am going to ask it of the minister of human resources.
Both the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister of Human Resources Development have stated that the fisheries training and adjustment programs will be designed to meet the needs of people living in Atlantic Canada's coastal communities.
What steps will be taken by the minister of human resources to improve program design and delivery? What long-term benefits does the minister foresee from government assistance?
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.
The first step in developing a different approach to the serious problem in the fisheries is to talk to the people directly affected by the crisis. Both the minister of fisheries and myself have already held several meetings in the Atlantic provinces.
Our first commitment would be to ensure that before any final decision is taken we have serious dialogue with the various groups in the Atlantic provinces directly affected by the moratorium on the fisheries. In saying that, we also want to hold true to the spirit of our campaign mandate, the red book, to use these programs to enable people to get back into the work force, to build a future for themselves, to have the dignity of work and not simply to have income security with a short-term end.
We really believe the best solution to the crisis in the fisheries in Newfoundland, Atlantic Canada and Quebec is to once again restore hope for people that they can have an important viable occupation, something that gives them a good reason to get up in the morning.
Jean-Guy Chrétien Bloc Frontenac, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the Environment. The commission on environmental co-operation under NAFTA is scheduled to be set up soon in Canada and the Minister of the Environment is expected to announce very shortly the name of the Canadian city which will welcome this important international organization.
My question is the following: Given the commitment made by her own party to make of Montreal a major world centre for environmental technology, in addition to making an all-out effort to convince international organizations to set up their head offices in Montreal, can the Minister of the Environment tell us why she is not yet making her decision public?