Debates of Nov. 28th, 1994

The Budget

[Ray Speaker, Reform, Lethbridge]

Mr. Speaker, if this government spent as much time figuring out how to cut spending as it does trying to devise new ways of raising and borrowing money, we could have been well on our way to balancing the budget.

This past week the Minister of Finance put out a trial balloon to look at what he called victory bonds. Canada already has 10-year bonds, 30-year bonds, 90-day treasury bills and Canada Savings Bonds, just to mention a few.

I ask the Minister of Finance, why do we need more bonds in our country?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt the government intends in terms of the next budget and in terms of our attack on the deficit obviously to concentrate on controlling government spending. There is no doubt that is where the priority lies.

Nobody should be under any doubt about that. The government did not float a trial balloon. I was asked a question in Toronto, a question that I have been asked in virtually every city I have gone to in the course of the last month, about the possibility of victory bonds following the very generous gesture by Mr. Carl McNeil who gave $37,000 in his last will and testament to the Canadian government.

What I find a little surprising is that the Reform Party would not understand the desire of Canadians to come together and solve this very difficult financial dilemma we have.

[Ray Speaker, Reform, Lethbridge]

Mr. Speaker, the Reform Party recognizes that Canadians want to solve our economic problems. Would the Minister of Finance admit that solving the problem, bringing confidence back to this country, has a first priority and that first priority is an expenditure reduction that eliminates the deficit in this country?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, not only do we recognize that controlling government expenditures and reducing government expenditures are an essential part of deficit reduction, but we also recognize the absolute importance of confidence in the Canadian population, the Canadian investment community. That is why as we see job creation continuing apace we are delighted to see the numbers that came out last week showing business confidence in this country is higher than it has been for a decade.

Parliamentary Employees Staff Relations Act

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

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

Today Parliament Hill workers were again forced to demonstrate in demanding that the government respect the health and safety of its employees. Parts II and III of the Parliamentary Employees Staff Relations Act would bring workers on Parliament Hill under the legislation of the Canada Labour Code.

I would like to ask the Prime Minister, as I have previously asked the Deputy Prime Minister, why the government has not yet proclaimed this bill to show the respect that it should be showing for its own employees. Why will the government not proclaim these sections?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is for the Board of Internal Economy to look into the matter. It is not strictly a government problem. It is also a House of Commons problem.

Mortgage Renewals

[Alex Shepherd, Liberal, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of financial institutions. A recent requirement as suggested by the Senate committee on banking, trade and commerce is that we require appraisals of renewals of mortgages.

Could the minister assure us that the government is not contemplating this or, if it is, that the cost of these appraisals will be borne by the financial institutions and not the borrower?

[Doug Peters, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his interest in this subject.

The Senate recommendation reflects a general view that managers of financial institutions require additional information and better information on those subjects. It does not state however that there should be the additional cost of appraisals necessarily in that recommendation. It is one of 42 recommendations by the Senate.

We are going to be looking at all of them very carefully and would certainly not consider implementing any of those recommendations without wide prior consultations with the members of the House and with the public generally.

Aids

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

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

The Prime Minister is utterly unable to explain why his government has not even invested all the money provided in the fight against AIDS. He is planning to go to Paris this week to boast about what his government is doing to fight AIDS.

How can the Prime Minister claim that he will make a worthwhile contribution at the international AIDS conference in Paris when it is clear that he is completely ignorant on this issue and himself admits that he cannot say whether his government has adopted a master plan to implement the Canadian AIDS Strategy?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I just said that the government has made a considerable effort in this area and that we want to do more. But what will be discussed in Paris is not the funding that one department or another has but rather what comprehensive solutions all the interested countries in the world can adopt to solve this problem eventually.

I do not suppose that the Prime Minister of France will want to ask me whether 3 or 4 per cent of our budget was spent or not. He will want to know what we want to do about it. I will not go there to discuss his budget. I think that all together, we can map out a strategy to eliminate this scourge throughout the world.

Bosnia

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Similkameen—Merritt, BC]

Mr. Speaker, media reports in Europe and Canada are saying that the American CIA has taken the side of the Bosnian Muslims in the war in the former Yugoslavia.

This U.S. position jeopardizes the UNPROFOR mission. Can the Prime Minister tell Canadians if he has communicated with the American government about these reports? What position has the Prime Minister taken with the United States?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I have always made it very clear to the President of the United States and the American people that the position of Canada and other members of UNPROFOR on the ground that we do not think there should be a lifting of the arms embargo and that no one from the outside should participate in this war.

We always made it clear that if everybody on the outside were to mind their own business and let the troops there handle the search for peace the best they can, it would be much better. It is

exactly what I always said and we said to the President very clearly in June, and it is not only the Canadian position but others, that it is unwise to lift the arms embargo at this time. It will not create peace there, it will just accelerate war.

This indication that the embargo may be lifted has just created the situation of war again. Everybody says that if we maintain the embargo and the UN troops there peace will probably come back faster.

Presence In The Gallery

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Dr. Milan Uhde, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, and five parliamentarians who are with him visiting Canada.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

I would also like to draw to your attention the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Gary Mar, Minister of Community Development in the province of Alberta.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 16 petitions.

Petitions

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to present to you today and to Parliament some 4,100 signatures from a petition that has been initiated and expanded at Brockton High School in downtown Toronto near the intersection of Bloor and Dufferin.

This petition was initiated by teachers and students there and then expanded to other schools in the Toronto Board of Education district.

The signatures are very significant because they were collected in a school where the shooting took place of two very dedicated counsellors who were seriously injured but who are now recovering. In essence the petition making reference to illegal weapons and violent incidents is asking Parliament to strengthen existing gun laws, to implement longer and mandatory sentences for people convicted of crimes involving the use of guns, and finally that the flow of illegal weapons coming into Canada be halted.

[Rex Crawford, Liberal, Kent, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured once again pursuant to Standing Order 36 to bring you several hundred names of constituents of the riding of Kent who wish to draw to the attention of the House the following.

Whereas the majority of Canadians respect the sanctity of human life, and whereas human life at the preborn stage is not protected in Canadian society, therefore your petitioners pray that Parliament act immediately to extend protection to the unborn child by amending the Criminal Code to extend the same protection enjoyed by born human beings to unborn human beings.

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

Mr. Speaker, this petition comes from citizens of all walks of life and all ages. They want to ensure that parliamentarians appreciate the fact that seniors have contributed and continue to contribute to the quality of life of Canadians, that there are growing numbers of seniors, that programs such as pensions and health would experience additional growing demand, that seniors need comfortable housing, social and community involvement and affordable medical care, and that when government is considering changes in programs seniors be remembered.

They have contributed much to the quality of life we now enjoy as Canadians.

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I have three petitions to present to the House.

The first petition calls on the government to enforce the existing provisions of the Criminal Code prohibiting assisted suicide. It also asks that no changes be made to those provisions which would sanction or allow assisted suicide.

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls on the government to maintain the status quo with regard to same sex relationships.

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition calls on Parliament to refuse to accept the justice minister's proposed anti-firearms legislation and instead insist that he bring forward legislation to fight violent crime.

On behalf of these concerned constituents I am pleased to table these petitions in the House.

[Daphne Jennings, Reform, Mission—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36 I would like to present some petitions from constituents in my riding and throughout all of British Columbia asking that the Canadian government look closely to amend the Divorce Act to allow for standing in the courts by grandparents.

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I too wish to present petitions in addition to the thousands that have been presented in the House in support of an amendment to legislation to ensure that grandparents have some entitlement to be represented and to have contact with their grandchildren and information about their grandchildren.