House of Commons Hansard #10 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was riding.

Topics

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Reform

Sharon Hayes Reform Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, would the minister please respond with a yes or a no as to whether he will discuss this case with the U.S. authorities and demand that they have Michael Drake immediately extradited.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

York West Ontario

Liberal

Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, I understand the concern of the hon. member and the party she represents.

I want to reassure her that this government and this minister feel equally as passionately about defending our borders and our system.

However, privacy laws preclude me from entering into a debate as the hon. member wishes me to do. I simply reiterate my concern and the shared feeling of frustration and indignation many Canadians feel. While it is a minority of the cases in the overall program let me reassure the hon. member that since my appointment to this position I have moved quietly to deport individuals I feel have contravened the law and are not in the best interests of Canada.

I will continue where meritorious to do that, but I do not want to enter into areas of debate that our privacy laws preclude me and other members from doing.

Government ExpendituresOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Bloc

Richard Bélisle Bloc La Prairie, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board.

We recently learned that, over the past five years, the federal government spent millions of dollars, some $85 million to be exact and an estimated $18 million in 1992-93 alone, on a series of promotional videos on windsurfing safety, life as a Canadian forces officer and searching for Santa Claus, to a name a few. You will agree with me that such a waste of public funds is really unacceptable in view of the pitiful state of government finances.

My question is as follows: Is the President of the Treasury Board prepared to give this House the assurance that, since taking office, the new Liberal government has put a stop to such squandering of public funds?

Government ExpendituresOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to give a ho ho ho to that question.

I assure the hon. member that I will look into those various areas of expenditure that the past government has inflicted upon the people of this country that are indeed wasteful.

Something we want to be a hallmark of this government is frugality in expenditure. We want to ensure that we get value for the taxpayers' dollars and that we spend those taxpayers' dollars efficiently and effectively and not in a wasteful fashion.

It is very important in terms of the programs this government wants to put forward. I assure the hon. member I will look into the matters he has specifically raised today.

Government ExpendituresOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Bloc

Richard Bélisle Bloc La Prairie, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have a supplemental. Considering that each dollar saved by trimming government spending is in fact $1 that can be applied against provincial health and education costs, what would the President of the Treasury Board think of an in-depth review of all government spending, item by item, to be carried out by a committee of this House?

Government ExpendituresOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, the estimates will be presented to this House after the Minister of Finance presents his budget.

There will be opportunities at that point to look at all the expenditure levels with respect to the kinds of programs and services the government provides.

Again I would assure the hon. member that all of us in this House on all sides have the interest of ensuring frugality with respect to government expenditures and the efficiency and effectiveness of using the taxpayers' dollars.

I welcome his intervention and desire to play a part in making sure that happens and I am sure we will work together to achieve that.

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Reform

Bob Ringma Reform Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

The Ottawa Sun reports this morning that the Prime Minister and leaders of the other two parties that once existed in this House struck a secret deal so that they could continue receiving their extra salaries after the writ was dropped last year right through the election campaign. Normally any extra salary over and above the basic MP salary is cut off when the writ is dropped.

Will the Prime Minister explain to outraged Canadians this abuse of their tax dollars and make public a repayment schedule of those tax dollars paid to him as a result of this secret deal?

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

I would like to say to the hon. member that before talking about a deal he should have some proof.

I never heard about it. I was campaigning. I received the payments that the governor sent to me. I do not know what the precedents were on that but there was no deal. Nobody ever talked to me.

To reflect on the leader of the NDP suggesting that she was part of a deal or that I sat down with the Prime Minister to make a deal is absolutely false. It should be withdrawn. There was no deal and we received our payments as usual.

For myself, I do not know what the precedents are and nobody ever talked to me about it. If it was not right, I would be delighted to pay it back. But to imply that there is something wrong and impute motives as the member does to the leader of the NDP is completely wrong. For myself, I was not even aware there was a problem.

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

An hon. member

It is wrong.

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Sheila Finestone Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Sit down. Show a little respect.

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Sergio Marchi Liberal York West, ON

What about the first question.

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Jean Chrétien Liberal Saint-Maurice, QC

Shame on you.

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

The Speaker

Order. The question posed which I permitted the Prime Minister to answer should have been answered by the representative of the Board of Internal Economy.

With what transpired during the campaign, I do not have any information that anything untoward transpired, but if the hon. member has a question in this vein again, I would direct the question to the representative of the Board of Internal Economy who is in the House now.

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Reform

Bob Ringma Reform Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC

Mr. Speaker, may I then as a supplementary ask the representative of this committee to furnish an explanation to this House in the forthcoming week?

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, in the absence of the spokesman for the committee, the member for Saint-Léonard, I would like to inform the House that I have obtained information.

I am informed that what the then commissioners of internal economy did before the last election was based on precedents dating back for several elections and there is nothing different or untoward.

Therefore I think the hon. member should withdraw totally his allegations and innuendoes which are totally unfounded and mistaken.

Leaders' SalariesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

The Speaker

I would like to get advice on this for myself. I will be discussing this with my clerks and I will make a statement on this the next time the House sits.

TobaccoOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Bob Speller Liberal Haldimand—Norfolk, ON

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

The minister met yesterday with representatives of Grand River Enterprises, the Assembly of First Nations and the people of the Six Nations of the Grand River regarding a tobacco manufacturing licence that they requested to help create 200 jobs in my riding.

I am wondering when the minister might be in a position to let my constituents and this House know when these people might be getting their manufacturing licence.

TobaccoOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, it is certainly correct that the group, Grand River Enterprises, has applied for a licence and that it is under consideration at the present time. They applied on January 7. There was some information lacking. We have asked for more precise details.

I met with the group yesterday. I believe we had a useful and productive meeting. However I am in no position at the present time to announce that a licence will or will not be granted. Within two and a half weeks would be the time I would expect. My officials however assure me these things sometimes take longer than ministers expect. They say it could possibly take a week longer than that.

Aluminum IndustryOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

André Caron Bloc Jonquière, QC

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

The aluminum industry is presently going through a crisis brought about by massive selling of Russian aluminum on the world market. Producing countries are trying, so far without success, to reach an agreement with the Russians. In the event of failure, Americans might impose countervailing duties on imports from all countries. Our industry, which employs 20,000 workers in Quebec and Canada, exports 75 per cent of its output to the United States. Countervailing duties would have disastrous consequences for the industry.

My question is this: Given the importance of this industry in Quebec and Canada, what measures is the government going to take to prevent a confrontation between the various aluminum producing countries?

Aluminum IndustryOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, we are well aware of the problems in the aluminum industry. Many companies are affected in Quebec as well as Canada. We are hoping that the talks that are going on in Brussels right now will come to a favourable conclusion.

There will be a continuation of the discussions with respect to an international accord on aluminum. It is our hope that voluntary reduction in Russian exports will be the outcome of these discussions.

Aluminum IndustryOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

André Caron Bloc Jonquière, QC

A supplementary, Mr. Speaker. Some aluminum producing plants in Canada are presently importing cheap Russian aluminum, then upgrading it for resale on the international market.

Is the minister contemplating the possibility of imposing countervailing duties on such imports of aluminum into Canada?

Aluminum IndustryOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, this is purely speculative. At the present time, we are still hoping for an international agreement, and this is the favoured solution.

Immigration And Refugee BoardOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Reform

Darrel Stinson Reform Okanagan—Shuswap, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. On January 26 the government advised this House and the Canadian people that when it made 33 appointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board, members of my party applauded. This is not correct. My party did not support any such appointments.

In the recent election campaign all recognized parties in this House ran on platforms promising to eliminate excess patronage.

Could the minister explain how his decision in this case was any different from those made by the previous government?

Immigration And Refugee BoardOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

York West Ontario

Liberal

Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, if the member checks the statements of some of his hon. colleagues, he will find the facts to be very different.

Also, it was unprecedented. The positions for the Immigration and Refugee Board were gazetted and 300 applications were received. For the first time ever I had the chairman of the Immigration and Refugee Board evaluate all 300 individuals. Any other resumes that came through my office or the Prime Minister's office or from members of Parliament on both sides were sent to the same Immigration and Refugee Board chairman for evaluation.

We consulted with non-governmental organizations, lawyers and various advocates. If the hon. member looks at the comments, not by members of my government but by members of communities across the country, they were applauding that for the first time government has kept a promise. Our Prime Minister promised that we would reintroduce integrity and confidence as the benchmarks for appointments not only to the Immigration and Refugee Board but also to the other boards and commissions under this Parliament and this government.