Debates of Feb. 8th, 1994

Health

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the acting minister of health.

It is known that any reduction in the price of cigarettes will lead to increased consumption, especially among the youth. In fact it is predicted that a 10 per cent decrease in price will result in an 8 per cent in the overall consumption, especially a 15 per cent increase among adolescents and youth.

It is also estimated that these cuts that are proposed today will result in 800,000 new smokers of which a quarter of a million will be the youth.

Is it the official position of the ministry of health to support a bill that jeopardizes the health of Canadians, especially the youth?

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

Mr. Speaker, obviously it is the position of the Government of Canada to help stop young people from smoking.

Smoking is a killer. It is a killer of young people and it is a killer of all Canadians.

Right now there are two million Canadians smoking smuggled cigarettes. To extrapolate the statistics of the Cancer Society, between 600,000 and one million of those Canadians smoking smuggled cigarettes can expect to die from cancer.

It is our intention to cut down on smoking by making sure that every effort is taken including the abolition of kiddie packs, including raising the age of smokers, including charging fines of up to $50,000 for retail outlets that sell to minors.

We have an attack and a plan that is going to safeguard the health of Canadians, not a plan that will hide its head in the sand by doing nothing when two million Canadians right now are smoking smuggled cigarettes.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

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

The minister should know that 40,000 Canadians die each year of smoking related illnesses and that billions of dollars are already spent every year on health care problems related to smoking.

Does the Deputy Prime Minister have any idea of how much this is going to cost our already overburdened health care system?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada recognizes the fact that almost 40,000 Canadians die every year from smoking.

The Government of Canada also recognizes the fact that for the first time last year cigarette smoking in Canada increased as opposed to decreased.

The Government of Canada also recognizes the unfortunate fact that young women in particular have continued to smoke despite the general decline in smoking of the population. That is why the Government of Canada is introducing a four-pronged strategy to make sure that we have a strategy that encourages every single Canadian to stop smoking by ensuring that the base price level for cigarettes is at a level that is out of reach of young Canadians and hopefully very soon out of the wish of most Canadians.

Indian Affairs

[André Caron, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. What the native people do not agree with are the provisions concerning the reserves which the Prime Minister implemented at the beginning of the 1970s, when he was minister of Indian Affairs, and which keep them in a state of dependence. Chief Mercredi admitted yesterday he no longer has control over the situation on the reserves.

His request for an amendment to the Indian Act which would recognize Indian self-government is fundamental but has not been answered yet.

Is it the intention of the Prime Minister to initiate, in the near future, a negotiating process with the First Nations in order to review those clauses of the Indian Act that are now obsolete?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development is doing right now.

[André Caron, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question. If he does not want the Oka situation to repeat itself, will the Prime Minister recognize that he must, in co-operation with the provinces and I insist on that point, enter very shortly into a process that will lead to the official recognition of Indian self-government?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have clearly explained our policy concerning the possibility of increasing native self-government so that the First Nations can manage their own problems on their own reserves and that is precisely the subject of discussions going on right now between

the Minister for Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Indian chiefs of Canada.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Randy White, Reform, Fraser Valley West, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the finance minister in the absence of the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

The CBC recently issued a $380 million bond to finance the new broadcast centre in Toronto. This financing will cost almost $4 million a year for the next 30 years because the bond is being issued at a rate higher than a regular government bond would be. This $120 million is excess interest costs.

Can the minister tell the House if his government has had the opportunity to mitigate the loss by cancelling the bond issue and issuing a normal government bond?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will take the member's question under advisement and when I have the details I will be glad to respond.

[Randy White, Reform, Fraser Valley West, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question is to the minister. Did the government give away crown land to the developer in the deal?

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

Mr. Speaker, my response to the second question is the same as the first.

Indian Affairs

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister declared on many occasions, and said it again today in the House, The law applies to everybody and everywhere. Everyone agrees, as mentioned by the Mohawk leader in Akwesasne, that one of the major problems faced by the three reserves is the unrestricted circulation of a high number of firearms. The presence of such firearms has contributed to the creation of a climate of terror; in the last seven years, 70 of the 7,000 people living in the Akwesasne reserve have been killed; the circumstances of their death remain a mystery.

My question to the Prime Minister is as follows: Will he recognize that one of the major problems in the Akwesasne, Kanesatake and Kanawake reserves stems mainly from the proliferation of firearms in the hands of a few individuals allowed to terrorize the people?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is the reason why we have asked the RCMP to do its job on the reserves just as anywhere else.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, to put an end to this slaughter, what kind of concrete measures does the Prime Minister intend to take to enforce the provisions of the Criminal Code regarding the control of firearms, more precisely on these reserves?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, they consistently give the impression that the problem of contraband cigarettes is partly or completely located on Indian reserves; which is not true.

I said earlier that the law will apply on Indian reserves as anywhere else, but I find totally deplorable that this constant line of questioning involving natives gives the impression that they are to be blamed for everything happening in this country.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[George Proud, Liberal, Hillsborough, PE]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General. Since the death of Michael Scott Miller in 1991 there has been great concern with the issue of the RCMP messes, most particularly in regard to the consumption of alcohol in these messes.

Can the Solicitor General inform the House what measures the RCMP will take with respect to the consumption of alcohol in these RCMP messes?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has completed a comprehensive review of its mess structure. A new national constitution governing the activities of messes will be implemented. One result will be that the serving of alcoholic beverages will no longer be available in RCMP messes without the explicit approval of the commanding officer and this approval will be governed by the definitions of special events described in the national mess constitution. I hope this will give reassurance to people in Prince Edward Island and elsewhere who are concerned about this serious matter.

Crown Corporations

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

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

The Auditor General has repeatedly expressed concern that eight crown corporations are exempt from the provisions of the Financial Administration Act which mandate good management

and accountability. The exempt crown corporations include the Canada Council, the National Film Board, the National Arts Centre Corporation among others.

At a time when Canadians are demanding that governments spend their tax dollars wisely, can the minister explain why these crown corporations are exempt from part X of the Financial Administration Act?

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

Mr. Speaker, the exemptions are perfectly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. They are principles that have been followed by the government for quite some time and they in no way imply that proper supervision of crown corporations is not taking place.

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

A supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. Will the minister act on the Auditor General's recommendation to make these crown corporations responsible under part X of the act so they are properly accountable to this House and therefore to the people of Canada and subject to examination by the Auditor General?

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

Mr. Speaker, the nature of these corporations is that they are responsible to their boards first and ultimately, as in all other things, they are responsible to the Government of Canada and therefore to the House.

The position of the government on most of these issues is that we agree with the Auditor General. We intend to put into effect the Auditor General's recommendations. There are some exceptions and this is one of them.

Use Of Tobacco Products

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Prime Minister. All stakeholders agree on the need for an anti-smoking campaign to make young people aware of the harmful effects of smoking, and the government's action plan makes provision for such a campaign.

Does the Prime Minister agree that no anti-smoking campaign can be conducted without the co-operation of the provinces? Can he give us the assurance that the provinces will follow his lead with the tax reduction or, failing that, at least support the health component of his action plan?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think that the provinces will examine the proposals we have put forward today and I am sure that they will be prepared to cooperate and contribute to the success of our campaign to discourage young Canadians in particular from using tobacco products. We have said that we were embarking upon a campaign the likes of which have never been seen in Canada. I am positive that, even if some provinces are not too pleased with certain aspects of our plan right now, they will nonetheless try to help us.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Does the Prime Minister not agree that, beyond the proposed awareness program, further efforts must be made to control the movement of cigarettes among young people, especially at school?