Debates of Nov. 25th, 1994

Smuggling

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, it is really quite amusing that the Reform Party is constantly telling us to slash expenditures and at the same time fails to point out that we increased the number of customs officers at the border by 25 per cent last February in response to need. If we accepted its general suggestions that

everything be cut across the board, the situation the member described would be infinitely worse.

With respect to gun smuggling, there is no question that it is a serious problem. We have a country adjacent to us with an enormous population and that country is literally awash in weapons. We have a border which has 130 million transits a year. We have in addition the world's largest trade between any two countries. We have vast numbers of tourists. It is thus impossible to create the type of Berlin wall that the member seems to think would stop the smuggling that he speaks of.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, if the revenue minister took time to understand what the Reform Party was saying, the one area that we would not be cutting is in the area of control and justice. That is one area we would not be cutting.

We have heard this 25 per cent figure before. As a matter of fact I think the minister gave it to us on February 8. Yet there are numerous press reports that indicate customs is in the process of laying off customs people in the front lines. How can he reconcile the difference between his statement and the press reports?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Very simply, Mr. Speaker. We have increased the numbers overall at the border as indicated.

On the other hand, as the member knows, we have tremendous fluctuations in numbers of tourists who come to Canada at different times of the year. In addition we have differing requirements at different areas of the border. We do move people around within the regions and indeed within Canada as a whole to deal with the demand at certain times.

I specifically refer the member from British Columbia to the extra 65 people we brought into Victoria during the Commonwealth Games to make sure that we had quick and effective customs surveillance at that point.

It is a simple issue of good management by customs officers and not a question as he seems to suggest of reducing enforcement.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of heritage. Yesterday, former CBC chairman Patrick Watson accused the heritage minister of being invisible and lacking the will to protect Canadian cultural industries. We rarely hear such a credible member of the cultural community condemn a minister's inaction so strongly.

Does the minister not agree that Mr. Watson's very strong words about him amply demonstrate once again his lack of leadership and credibility in the cultural community?

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Watson spent almost all his life in the world of show business and news reporting. Of course, visibility is important in these sectors, but we are in the business of governing and the way to do it is with authority. We do not need to show off. If that is what our Bloc colleague wants, she should do so while we are busy running the country.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder who is showing off.

How can the minister reconcile his current position on stable financing for the CBC with the promises he made to the corporation at the time of his appointment as heritage minister?

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I think that our colleague is badly misinformed; she should know that the Liberal government helped the CBC avoid a major financial crisis.

That is what we have done this year. We allowed the CBC to reposition itself in the 500-channel universe we have heard about. I supported the CBC in this matter. With the help of the finance minister, we will continue to ensure that the CBC remains the flagship of Canadian culture.

Trade

[Ray Speaker, Reform, Lethbridge]

Mr. Speaker, the reason for negotiating international trade deals like the free trade agreement, NAFTA or GATT should be to tear down trade barriers rather than build them up. Yet access to the American market has decreased for the Canadian sugar industry due to protectionist measures. In jeopardy are some 1,700 Canadian jobs at the present time.

My question is to the Minister for International Trade. What will the government do to protect the jobs in the Canadian sugar industry and to improve Canadian access to American sugar markets?

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I know he is very interested in this issue. I assure him that we are working with the industry. We are pressing the American authorities to give us a response as soon as possible.

The Minister for International Trade has contacted his counterpart, Mr. Kantor, to ask for a response as quickly as possible. We are hopeful that we will be able to find a solution in the best interest of the Canadian industry.

[Ray Speaker, Reform, Lethbridge]

Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Can the minister indicate what type of measures the government is planning to put in place in terms of removing some of the protectionist opportunities that the American government may take with regard to GATT or what other measures can be taken that will protect our industry on not only a short term basis but a long term basis as well?

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, obviously it is good news that we will be seeing fairly soon, hopefully effective January 1, 1995, the introduction of the World Trade Organization as a mechanism whereby all trading partners around the globe will be able to go to it whenever we have a dispute. We will be able to solve it through that mechanism.

When it comes to bilateral relations of course we would have to continue to work within the framework of NAFTA between us and our partners in North America. We are confident that through bilateral negotiation and through the multilateral forum we will be able to resolve many of those issues as my colleague has suggested.

Multiculturalism

[Mark Assad, Liberal, Gatineau—La Lièvre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism.

In view of the recommendations made by the Reform Party, which wants to eliminate all programs related to multiculturalism, can the minister tell us again how Canadians benefit from the policy on multiculturalism, and can she also tell us if it is worth investing in such a policy? In other words, could the minister shed some light on this issue?

[An hon. member]

Let us see the light, madam!

[Sheila Finestone, Liberal, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)]

Mr. Speaker, I would certainly like to help them see the light, but I do not know if it is possible.

For less than $1 per Canadian per year, I think we are getting the best investment possible for our money, less than the cost of a chocolate bar, in order to ensure social peace, social cohesion and a country of prosperity that includes all Canadians.

I suggest to my colleague, who is a very concerned and considerate member representing a wonderful riding on the tip of Quebec between the two borders, that the amount of money we invest and the efforts that are deployed jointly by many groups in this country puts us at the forefront of fighting bigotry, racism and prejudice that is still found in the minds and hearts of many Canadians, contrary to certain thoughts expressed elsewhere in this House.

Auditor General's Report

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

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

In his report, the Auditor General criticizes the defence department for mismanaging its capital assets and wasting over $100 million per year in the process.

Given the magnitude of the problem and the need to reduce government spending, will the Minister of National Defence demand that the senior officers of his department provide him with a plan to quickly correct this totally unacceptable situation?

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

Mr. Speaker, in the last year there has been a virtual management revolution in the ministry of defence.

We are trying to have many services contracted to the private sector. We are trying to adopt many private sector methods such as in warehousing, in having on time just in time delivery where suppliers actually keep the particular components rather than having them stored. We are in the process of installing a state of the art computer system that will keep track of all of the components in the materiels group. Indeed, we have restructured the materiels group, which is the largest section of national defence, in charge of procurement and administration of all big capital programs. We have totally restructured that and in the next year there will be more and more layers of management eliminated. I think when it is all done the taxpayers will get better value for their dollar.

Crtc

[Jan Brown, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

When the CRTC issued its decision after the restructure hearings it decided not to allow the American company Direct TV into Canada. The industry minister and the heritage minister have met with Power Corp and have jointly decided to disregard the CRTC decision.

Given the confusion and speculation surrounding this decision, is the minister prepared to explain the cabinet decision to override the CRTC?

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this question under advisement so that I may consult my colleague.

Northern Tax Allowance

[Len Taylor, NDP, The Battlefords—Meadow Lake, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this year will see the phasing out of the northern tax allowance program initiated by the previous Tory government. Residents of hundreds of northern communities will lose the benefit that recognizes their residential distance from federal government services.

Is the Minister of National Revenue or officials in his department prepared to reconsider the elimination of this valuable program to ensure that tax increases are not now going to be unnecessarily forced on northern residents?

[David Walker, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, this issue has been raised several times by the governments of the north. As part of our pre-budget consultations we are receiving representations on a number of very important issues that affect the budgets and the lifestyles of northerners. We will continue to listen to these in the next few months.

National Debt

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.

My constituents have been asking me what they can do to help with our debt and deficit problems. They are especially worried about our foreign debt and say it is time for a victory bond program to help us buy back that debt.

I want to ask the parliamentary secretary if the minister is taking this proposal seriously and what exactly is he doing about it.

[David Walker, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, this idea has been presented not only to the Minister of Finance but also to the committee on its travels throughout the country.

It shows an anxiousness that Canadians have to see the deficit resolved and their willingness to participate in widespread efforts to bring down that deficit. We are looking at a number of instruments including the victory bonds to ensure there is opportunity for Canadians to help us out with this very difficult task.

Smuggling

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the Auditor General's 1993 report it was indicated that police forces are concerned that a serious firearms smuggling problem exists and appears to be increasing.

Inasmuch as this government has been unable to stop the smuggling of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol into this country, how does the Minister of National Revenue propose to stop or reduce the smuggling of guns into this country?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should be aware that we have one of the most effective customs services in the world which operates extremely efficiently along our border.

He should also be aware that the numbers of officers have been increased substantially within the last year, indeed in February of last year and thereafter.

He should be aware because his specific concern is that of firearms that we have a situation involving our border with the United States, a country which has a vast number of weapons, a country which has a tradition of people both carrying and using weapons which is quite foreign to our own. It is very important for us to use, as we are doing, modern equipment, dogs to sniff out weapons, which they can do and also as many custom officers as we can. We are using all possible means to intercept weapons at the border.

However, I warn him that it is not possible-

Patent Act

[Maurice Dumas, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau, QC]

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

When she was in Winnipeg, the minister told a group of seniors that the government intends to amend the legislation on drug patents, the old Bill C-91, this in spite of the commitment made on numerous occasions by her colleague, the Minister of Industry, not to review this legislation before 1997.

Are we to understand that the minister has already made up her mind and that she intends to propose a reduction of the exclusivity period for patents when the legislation is reviewed, which should normally happen in 1997?