Debates of Jan. 26th, 1994

Research And Development

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister did not answer my question, but I will nevertheless remain his friend. I would like to ask him a supplementary question. Will the minister make sure that there is an equitable distribution of these funds between all regions of Canada in order to correct past inequities, Quebec for example receiving only 18 per cent of available funds while Ontario was getting more than half?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I would assure the hon. member that when it comes to looking at the application of funds that are made available for research and development for science and technology in Canada, we will do our best to ensure that every dollar of taxpayers' money is applied so as to give the best possible results, both for the

science involved as well as to encourage the development of an innovative economic base in all regions of Canada.

Department Of National Defence

[Charlie Penson, Reform, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence.

It was reported in the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday and again today that the Department of National Defence has a staff of over 100 military people to administer the household moves of its personnel, yet the department pays more for its moves than do private corporations. Furthermore, private companies exist which say they can provide this administrative service at no cost to the government and that the government would save 10 per cent to 25 per cent on rates over those currently being paid.

What is the minister doing to investigate these cost-saving opportunities at a time of deficit reduction?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

My colleague from Cambridge posed this very same question last Friday and I gave a pretty detailed answer. Perhaps the hon. member was not here.

I do have some concerns that we are not getting the best deal. I have asked my officials to make sure that the concerns of the hon. member who just asked the question and my colleague from Cambridge are addressed very soon.

[Charlie Penson, Reform, Peace River, AB]

I would like to ask a supplementary question of the minister. Would he at least give the reassurance that he would reinstate the pilot project that looked into cost savings which was set up in the last days of the last administration?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

First of all, my colleague is from Waterloo. I hope I did not upset my colleague from Cambridge, who may disagree.

The pilot project the hon. member refers to was one-and I addressed this last Friday-that was established by three ministers of the previous Conservative government without authorization. One of the first things we did when we took over was cancel the pilot project.

I am not opposed to looking into the matter to try and get some resolution to the situation to get the cheapest price possible because the federal government does move, I believe, and is responsible for 35 per cent of all moves in Canada. Therefore we are talking about big business, more than $100 million.

We will certainly look into it, but the way it was done by the previous government was totally unacceptable. As I said last Friday we do not do business that way.

Human Rights

[Osvaldo Nunez, Bloc, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Human rights are still being violated in El Salvador, in spite of the 1992 peace agreements. Even the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada recognized it on December 17 last when he talked about the re-emergence of political violence in El Salvador. In spite of the prevailing alarming situation, the Immigration and Refugee Board rejected the request for asylum of about 50 Salvadoran individuals who now face expulsion from Canada. My question is this: Does the minister intend to do something about these expulsion decisions which could endanger the lives of these Salvadoran refugees if they were forced to go back to their country?

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question and to congratulate him on having been chosen by his party to be critic for citizenship and immigration.

In regard to the 30 or 50 individuals from El Salvador, I should mention a fact that he knows and appreciates I am sure, the privacy laws prevent me from going into the specific details.

These individuals went through a refugee board determination hearing, had full appeal to the Federal Court, have had reviews conducted. They wrote my office seeking a meeting and officials in my department are currently in the process of meeting with these individuals in Montreal-they just provided us with the names a few days ago-in order to receive the proposal they wish to make to us.

[Osvaldo Nunez, Bloc, Bourassa, QC]

I would like to ask a supplementary question, Mr. Speaker.

Why has government suspended all deportations of Chinese, Haitian and Somali nationals and why will they not commit to doing the same for Salvadorans?

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, concerning El Salvador, it is the immigration refugee board that has the full right to make a determination on who is not and who is a refugee. It is true that individuals from the Republic of China and Iraq are not returned.

We have information, from external affairs, from our mission in El Salvador and from the UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, that individuals are being returned to El Salvador.

Yes, there has been increased sporadic violence in the lead-up to the March elections. Our officials are monitoring the situation. If the situation deteriorates to the point that we believe it is unfair, unhelpful and dangerous to return those individuals to that country we will not fear on this side to make that determination.

Canada Customs

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.

It is reported that the justice department has ordered Canada Customs to allow counterfeit documents found entering Canada through the mail, including phony Canadian passports, to be sent on to their destination. The reason given for this is that the seizure of fake documents found during routine searches might be violating the protection against unreasonable search or seizure contained in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This is an outrageous use of the charter.

Will the minister explain to this House today what must be done to authorize Canada Customs to seize phony documents entering Canada and vigorously pursue the prosecution of those responsible?

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, not only have we also read the same article but the officials of my department as well as the department of revenue have been seized with an opinion from the justice department, which we respect, concerning the letter of the law.

Let me say quite clearly that despite the fact that we respect the law, the impact of the circumstances is clearly unacceptable to me and to my officials. I will seek, hopefully with the co-operation of his party as well, among the officials of justice, revenue and immigration at the earliest possible moment amendments to both the customs and immigration acts so we can protect Canadian borders to the fullest. In the meantime we will work within the law to ensure that protection.

I might add to my answer to the member's question that any one individual caught crossing the border with fraudulent documentation, be it visa or passport, certainly is apprehended and charged.

Housing

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of housing.

Would the minister please expand on the government's promise, as outlined in the speech from the throne, to reinstate the important program, the residential rehabilitation assistance program?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I want first of all to thank and congratulate my colleague from Fundy-Royal on his first question.

The RRAP program is comprised of three different elements: the home owner program; the disabled; and the emergency repair. The throne speech has confirmed once again another commitment made by the Prime Minister during the election campaign which is to provide $100 million over two years for the RRAP. This will provide assistance to low income Canadians in order to make repairs to their homes. It will also provide much needed employment.

The start up of the program will commence on the date of the tabling of the throne speech, namely January 18.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Joe Fontana, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association to the European Bank for reconstruction and development; the preparatory meeting with the Council of Europe's Economic Affairs Committee for the annual OECD debate by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament held in London, Paris and Brussels from June 23 to July 2, 1993.

I also have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association to the European Bank for Reconstruction, Development and the Council of Europe's OECD debate held in London and Strasbourg from September 22 to October 2, 1993.

[Bill Rompkey, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34, I have the honour to present to the House the first report of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association concerning the North Atlantic Assembly spring session which was held in Berlin May 20 to 24, 1993, and the second report concerning the North Atlantic Assembly annual session which was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 7 to 12, 1993.

Crown Liability And Proceedings Act

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-4, an act to amend the Crown Liability and Proceedings Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

Petitions

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, St. Boniface, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition indicating that seniors' pensions do not reflect their true needs. The cost of living index does not reflect their financial needs. They believe that the current pensions, even with the supplement, forces a lot of them to live either at or below the poverty line. As a result many seniors are living in extremely difficult situations.

These petitioners request the government to look at the whole of taxation in order to ensure that their pensions are adequate.

[Vic Althouse, NDP, Mackenzie, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have petitions signed by residents of Naicam, Saskatchewan and area who wish to draw to the attention of the House that the Senate is an unelected, unaccountable institution which has become the home of recipients of political patronage and has long since discarded any notion of working in the interest of taxpayers.

They note that since sections 41 and 42 of the Constitution Act of 1982 provides for amendments to the Constitution in relation to certain matters such as this to be initiated by resolution of the House, they request that the House pass such a resolution and abolish the Senate.

[Maurice Godin, Bloc, Châteauguay, QC]

I have the honour to table a 20-page petition signed by 173 constituents in the Châteauguay riding, asking the government to forgo any social housing rent increases and lift the freeze on the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation's budget to allow for the building of new social and co-op housing.

[John Nunziata, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present to the House a petition from an organization based in Calgary, Alberta, a voice for innocent children with regard to section 745 of the Criminal Code.

The petitioners state that those individuals convicted of first degree murder are sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole for 25 years, and further, that section 745 of the Criminal Code allows murderers to apply for a reduction in the number of years of imprisonment notwithstanding having been tried, convicted and sentenced in a court of law; that those individuals convicted of first degree murder or second degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment can be become eligible for parole after serving only 15 years by virtue of section 745. The petitioners therefore request that Parliament pass a law that would remove section 745 from the Criminal Code.

I should add that in the very near future I will reintroduce in this House a private member's bill that would have the effect of removing section 745 from the Criminal Code.

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden, SK]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present a petition which has been duly certified by the clerk of the House of Commons as to form and content.

The petition is signed by Canadians from my constituency of Regina-Lumsden and from other parts of Saskatchewan, including Saskatoon, Sedley, Cadillac, Ituna, Lumsden, Spirit Wood, Anaroyd, Lanagan and Grandura, to name a few.

These petitioners are extremely worried about the impact of Bill C-91 which was passed in the last Parliament extending the patent on some prescription drugs for up to 20 years and guaranteeing drug manufacturers monopoly prices and substantial profits at Canadians' expense.

Prescription drug prices in Canada are the most expensive in the world as a result of this bill. These petitioners are calling for the repeal of Bill C-91 to reduce the financial burden on health care consumers in need of prescription drugs and on provincial government drug programs.

[Walt Lastewka, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure, on behalf of the hon. member for Welland-St. Catharines-Thorold, to table two petitions. The petitions are on behalf of the grandparents in the riding who are deeply concerned about the denial of access to their grandchildren in cases where families are separated by virtue of death, separation or divorce.

This concern was expressed by many of the colleagues in the Liberal caucus in the previous Parliament and we remain firmly committed to this cause.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of my constituents. The efforts of Mrs. Debbie Mahaffy to have

the importation of killer cards stopped at the U.S.-Canada border and seized to prevent distribution is supported by numerous Calgary Northeast residents.

The concern about the cards which feature serial killers, mass murderers and gangsters offer nothing positive for children or adults but rather depict violence.

Therefore the undersigned petitioners humbly pray and call upon this Parliament to amend the laws of Canada to prohibit the importation, distribution, sale and manufacture of killer cards in law and to advise producers of killer cards that their product, if destined for Canada, will be seized and destroyed.

[Jean-Guy Chrétien, Bloc, Frontenac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have here a petition signed by more than 80 of my constituents from Frontenac, Black Lake, Thedford and Saint-Ferdinand, who are opposed to social housing rent increases.

Whereas the federal government froze the CMHC's budget for the next five years, while asking it to save money, supposedly to provide assistance to young couples, and whereas, to do so, the federal government intends to raise low rents by 20 per cent, the undersigned ask Parliament:

-first, to forgo all social housing rent increases; and

-second, to lift the freeze on the Canadian Mortgage and Social and Co-op Housing Corporation.