Debates of Feb. 14th, 1994

Recall Of Members Of Parliament

[Leon Benoit, Reform, Vegreville, AB]

A supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. As the Prime Minister is well aware, the hon. member for Vancouver Quadra, a recognized parliamentary expert, declared in a recent interview with CBC Prime Time News that he does not oppose the notion of recall.

Does the Prime Minister agree with the hon. member's expert opinion?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the people decided that every one of us was to be elected, for one party or another.

The leader of the opposition was elected as a Conservative and eventually with nine other members of the Tories he decided to move. There was no recall. If we were to have recall, I would have been one of the first at that time to call for it.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Saint-Maurice, QC]

We have seen people in this Chamber moving from one side to the other. Some are welcome to come to this side.

Income Security For Fishermen

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Gaspé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. The government is now reviewing all income support programs. On February 12, The Globe and Mail informed us that the government was about to negotiate an agreement with the Premier of Newfoundland in order to test the province's proposed pilot project for fishermen's income support, even though it seems fishermen are not unanimously in favour of that program.

Has the government already decided to follow-up on the Premier's request for the pilot project aimed at a complete reform of all income security programs for fishermen?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

No, Mr. Speaker.

[The Speaker]

Did you hear the answer?

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Gaspé, QC]

No, she speaks too quickly sometimes.

[The Speaker]

When people talk fast, you must listen fast!

[An hon. member]

She said no.

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Gaspé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there are various games of musical chairs in the House I still have to get used to.

Given the answer I just received, is the Prime Minister aware that his Minister of Fisheries and Oceans promised a new program to replace the one ending on May 15? If he is aware of that fact, can he tell us if fishermen will have the opportunity to give their opinion on the implementation of that new system and, if so, how will the consultation be done, given the very short time left?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that the program ends in May. We are already working on a few possibilities. Today, the Minister for Human Resources is meeting with his provincial counterparts in order to determine what direction the renewal of social programs will take. It is also a fact that the minister is working in co-operation with his colleague the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans so that fishermen of the Magdalen Islands and Newfoundland are consulted before the program's expiration on May 15.

The member should know that the implementation plan is not for Newfoundland alone; it concerns fishermen of the Magdalen Islands, Newfoundland and other parts of the Maritimes. We are trying to have adequate consultation before any decision is made.

The Late Sue Rodriguez

[Margaret Bridgman, Reform, Surrey North, BC]

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

The death of Sue Rodriguez has once again raised the ethical issue of euthanasia. I believe the time has come for a full public discussion of this issue. As members of Parliament, we should facilitate this discussion. Once all sides are heard, the final say on this deeply personal issue should go to the people of Canada.

Will the Minister of Justice agree that on the date of the next federal election a binding national referendum on euthanasia be put to the Canadian people?

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

Mr. Speaker, Sue Rodriguez was a courageous person whose death we mourn, and whose life in its last stages served to put in sharp focus the difficult and contentious issues arising from the subject of euthanasia.

I remain with the belief which I have expressed in the past that this is a subject that Parliament should consider and determine. Judges in the course of the Rodriguez litigation observed that it is the job of Parliament, and not the courts, to grapple with societal questions such as these. The House of Lords in England has embarked on an examination of the principles so it can be determined legislatively in that jurisdiction.

I remain of the view that we should provide through Parliament a forum for informed discussion, drawing distinctions among the various concepts that are involved, from cessation of treatment to actively assisting suicide, and let parliamentarians make up their minds.

It has not yet been determined the forum in which that will come forward from this government. But I assure the hon. member it is a matter of continuing concern for me that it occur. I do not agree that a referendum is the answer but I do think it should be discussed in Parliament. I will keep the hon. member advised as we make progress in the process of bringing the question forward for consideration in this Chamber.

Milk

[John Richardson, Liberal, Perth—Wellington—Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Health.

The image of milk as a clean, pure food has great credibility among Canadian consumers. However, the recent approval by the American government to allow the injection of BST, bovine somatltropin, to stimulate milk production in dairy cows has caused great concern among consumers in Canada.

Consumers are concerned they will be denied the right to clean, pure milk. As well, they will not be able to tell if BST has been used in blended products such as cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream.

Will the minister assure all Canadians that the government will not approve the use of BST until the experiment in the United States proves conclusively that milk and milk blended products are safe?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, BST is a technically produced product, equivalent to a naturally occurring hormone in cows. Officials in my department have not concluded their review of BST. I am aware that BST is approved in the United States, after having undergone extensive review.

My department will only issue a notice of compliance for this veterinary drug if it is safe for humans to consume milk or milk products from treated animals, and also after adequate data is supplied to support the efficacy and safety of dairy cows.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the Environment. According to the latest reports from Environment Canada, there are only 500 belugas left in the St. Lawrence River. The World Wildlife Fund

indicated that more that 250,000 tonnes of chemical waste a year are dumped into the St. Lawrence, from the Great Lakes on.

In order to avoid the extinction of belugas, is the minister willing to set up a committee composed of federal and Quebec officials, as well as Canadian and U.S. experts, whose terms of reference would be to re-establish belugas in the St. Lawrence River?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question.

I think that what he is pointing at are the relations existing between Ontario and Quebec and among various provinces in this country, which should be reflected in our environmental standards. It is very important. That is why I am hoping that we will soon reach a second agreement with Quebec regarding the St. Lawrence River. It is also why anyone interested in the environment should understand that what is dumped into Lake Ontario may affect fishermen downstream, even as far as the St. Lawrence.

This being said, belugas come under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. We are working with this department to make sure that the belugas have a better chance to survive than they have had so far.

Immigration

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

The Vancouver Province newspaper on Friday, February 4, 1994, asked the question: ``Does Canada accept too many refugees and immigrants?'' Ninety-seven per cent of those who responded said yes; only three per cent said no. Obviously the immigration section of the red book is not very popular.

The government has regularly stated that it wants consultation-

[The Speaker]

Order. Would the member put his question, please.

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Could the minister tell the House, without getting upset and emotional, why he will not reduce immigration levels in line with the wishes of the majority of Canadians even if he personally feels it is the wrong decision?

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

I thought I was a nice guy, Mr. Speaker.

I do not want to have the issue emotionalized one way or the other. We have had a decision made on immigration levels in keeping with the red book, which the member suggests was not very popular. However, the last time we checked the red book enabled us to have a strong majority government, a mandate for this Prime Minister.

Second, we have announced unprecedented consultations to discuss with Canadians where our country goes from here, how immigration can plug in, and to ensure that the country reaches those dreams and those aspirations.

I also wish to add that Vancouver has had the greatest economic output in the last number of years. It received the most immigrants in any region across the country so the correlation between immigration and employment has worked for Vancouver.

Presence In The Gallery

[The Speaker]

I wish to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Canada, and its chairman, Mr. Jean-Thomas Nordmann.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Ways And Means

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 83(1), I would like to lay upon the Table a Notice of Ways and Means motion to amend the Excise Tax Act.

I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of the motion.