Debates of Feb. 8th, 1994

Use Of Tobacco Products

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

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly why the plan we have tabled today contains specific measures with regard to teenage smoking. For instance, for the first time, those who sell tobacco products to young people under 18 years of age will be fined up to $50,000. We will also take action to ban the sale of so-called "kiddie packs" to young buyers. And we have other specific measures to combat smoking among the young. This is all part of the health component of our plan, to prevent smoking from causing more harm to our young people.

Members Of Parliament Retiring Allowances

[Jim Silye, Reform, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. On January 24 in this House the Prime Minister promised to accommodate any MP who chooses to opt out of the current MP pension plan.

How soon can we expect these administrative changes to be made?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I have said we want to give the option to all members not to participate.

We will look at finding a way to do this under the Financial Administration Act. We are working on it at the moment, but I want to make sure that when a member opts out he or she cannot come back in when the controversy is over.

[Jim Silye, Reform, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the Prime Minister that we will not want to have that double option. I have a supplementary question.

As Reformers we want to save the taxpayers' money.

[Bob Nault, Liberal, Kenora—Rainy River, ON]

One term wouldn't get it anyway.

[Jim Silye, Reform, Calgary Centre, AB]

I hope the members who are yelling can hear me. The sooner we can opt out of this plan the sooner the government will not have to match the members' payments of 11 per cent.

Does the Prime Minister believe this 11 per cent saving or spending cut would be too savage for the Canadian taxpayer?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member does not understand the system. There is no payment by the federal government. It is part of the general obligations of the government.

The fact you are not contributing is not adding anything to the expenditures of the government at this time. If you want to have your cash, we will pay you back with interest.

[The Speaker]

I know the right hon. Prime Minister was saying "you" looking toward me.

Judicial Appointments

[Eugène Bellemare, Liberal, Carleton—Gloucester, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Minister of Justice for appointing 19 new judges, including five in Ontario, in January and February. Even with these appointments, there are not enough judges able to hear cases in both official languages used in Ontario courts. In Ottawa, for example, over 1,400 civil cases are still waiting to be heard, many since 1988.

Does the minister intend to appoint more bilingual judges in Ontario, especially in Eastern Ontario, to improve access to the courts in both official languages?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member that I am very aware of the government's responsibility to appoint judges able to hear cases in French. By the way, I should point out that two of the five Ontario judges appointed by this government on January 28 can work in French here in Ontario and hear cases in both official languages used in the courts.

I am committed to appointing more judges who will not only make a valid contribution to our legal system but also meet the linguistic needs and expectations of Canadians. Finally, I want to assure the hon. member that, as Minister of Justice, one of my priorities will be to ensure that the Ontario courts have the required linguistic capability.

Cigarette Taxes

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in its action plan against cigarette smuggling, the government announces that it will introduce an $8 export tax on each carton. However, the last export tax on cigarettes was a total fiasco and had to be withdrawn in April 1992, after being applied for only two months.

Has the Prime Minister obtained assurances from tobacco manufacturers to the effect that they will not move their operations and start exporting jobs to Puerto Rico and the United States to avoid the new tax, as they did in 1992?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, we have not heard from tobacco companies. We really do not think this is necessary. Export taxes are a rather short-term measure. We are well aware that if the other measures are successful, the federal government may not get a lot of revenue out of that tax, which is aimed at reducing exports of Canadian cigarettes intended to be smuggled back into the country later. This short-term tax will be in effect in the weeks to come; it is not a long-term measure.

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

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

Has the government planned measures to stop smugglers if they go to sources other than Canadian manufacturers?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, if the measures taken by the government do not work, smuggling will continue, but if they work the problem will be solved. To ask a question on the premise that the measures will fail is really not very useful at this point.

The Environment

[Jack Frazer, Reform, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister in her capacity as Minister of the Environment.

My subject is oil spill precautions for Canada's coasts. Last September the state of Washington brought in rules requiring oil tankers transiting the Washington coast to give details of their capacity to deal with a spill, their personnel training and their vessel structure and history. They require that an English speaking officer be on the bridge and that operators must meet local alcohol, drug and work hour requirements. Violations of these requirements carry fines of up to $100,000.

Will the minister move to institute a similar policy for Canadian coastal waters?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for advance notice of his question. Living as he does in Saanich-Gulf Islands, obviously his constituency is very concerned about this issue.

We are very concerned about it also. That is why on April 1 of this year we will be implementing legislation to include a federal contribution of $100 million in funding to ensure that we have quick response when spills do occur. We are also looking at private sector funding of between $80 million and $100 million

to ensure that those ships involved in oil spills are paying for the pollution they cause.

We are looking for co-operation with the provincial government of British Columbia to make sure that the coast line is clear. I know that my colleague the Minister of Transport has been working very hard on this issue. I intend to meet very shortly with the provincial minister of the environment for British Columbia to ensure we have a joint federal-provincial response on an issue that is of crucial concern to British Columbia.

[Jack Frazer, Reform, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a supplementary question.

Our studies show that the risks of an oil spill drop by 40 per cent when tankers have double hulls. The current time frame for requiring double hulls stretches into the next century.

Would the minister move to accelerate this requirement and reduce the risk of a disastrous oil spill in our coastal waters?

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

Mr. Speaker, I did indicate to the hon. member that in implementing the recommendations of the public review panel on tanker safety and marine spills response capacity, one of the issues was double hulling. The federal government has set aside $100 million specifically to try and accelerate the implementation of some of these issues.

If the hon. member and his colleagues are prepared to yield more money from the public treasury, we would be very happy to move in quicker fashion on these important issues.

Excise Tax Act

[Maurice Godin, Bloc, Châteauguay, QC]

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

Quebec law enforcement authorities want more powers to fight cigarette smuggling. Right now, an officer of the Sûreté du Québec cannot apprehend a smuggler, without calling on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

What does the Prime Minister intend to do to ensure that provincial police in Ontario and in Quebec can enforce the Excise Tax Act?

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

Mr. Speaker, we intend to propose amendments to the Excise Tax Act in order to give Quebec and Ontario police the authority they need to enforce the law in their jurisdiction. This was mentioned in the statement given today by the minister.

[Maurice Godin, Bloc, Châteauguay, QC]

How does the Prime Minister think he can improve co-ordination between the RCMP and the federal and provincial police forces, which has been, up to now, absolutely inefficient, especially in my own riding of Châteauguay?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am personally in contact with my counterparts, Mr. Middlemiss, in Quebec, and Mr. Christopherson, in Ontario, and I have received assurances from the commissioner of the RCMP that he, himself, is in contact with his counterparts. I am convinced that we will have the co-operation we need to curb smuggling.

Government Appointments

[Jim Gouk, Reform, Kootenay West—Revelstoke, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for nine years the Liberal Party complained, and rightly so, about patronage appointments of unqualified people by the Conservative government.

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development. What procedure has his department developed to ensure that all appointments in his department are based on merit, not patronage?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, I would request the hon. member to be a little bit more specific because the department has such extensive activities.

We are in the business, for example, of appointing arbitrators in the Department of Labour. We consult business and labour to get nominations in these areas. We also appoint people who act as referees under the Unemployment Insurance Act. Again we consult the stakeholders in those areas to get recommendations, as we do from the general public.

The hon. member will be glad to know that in many cases these openings are put forward for gazetting, where they involve people like the chairman or vice-chair of the Canada Labour Relations Board.

We are reviewing ways to make sure it is an open process. I would point out to the hon. member that we take great pride in the competence of our arbitrators, our UI board of referees and I think the record of the people serving in those posts bears out that confidence.

G-7 Conference

[Shaughnessy Cohen, Liberal, Windsor—St. Clair, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In view of the fact that the economic and employment ministers of the G-7 countries will be meeting in Detroit, Michigan on March 13 and 14, I would like to ask the minister if he can inform the House of any steps the government is taking to invite the G-7 ministers to travel the short distance across the border to Windsor, Canada.

I would also like to know if the Canadian delegation will be staying in American hotels in Detroit or in Canadian hotels in Windsor.