House of Commons Hansard #34 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC
Mr. Speaker, my supplemental is for the Prime Minister. Given the considerable economic interests at stake, does he not believe that the time has come for him to take up the matter directly with his US counterpart in order to put an end to the harassment that Canadian industry is experiencing?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we make representations to US authorities on a regular basis. In the course of the conversations that I have had with the President of the United States in recent weeks, I have indicated to him that too much pressure is being applied in certain areas and that we are not completely satisfied with matters. I hope that this will produce some positive results.
Of course, considering that nearly 80 per cent of our trade is with the United States, it is normal to encounter the occasional irritant. However, we ensure that we make the best representations possible. I have to thank the Leader of the Opposition because when he was in Washington, he raised a number of issues of concern to all Canadians and he asked the Americans to treat us fairly.
Darrel Stinson Reform Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.
The report on parliamentary compensation tabled today proposes that salaries for members of Parliament be increased from $64,000 to $88,000. The President of the Treasury Board says that this is an important first step in assisting the government in finding out what is acceptable to the taxpayers.
Would the Prime Minister concede to this House that a 40 per cent raise is not acceptable whether it is in two, four or six years?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, this report was asked for by the previous government. The salaries of MPs are frozen, the same as for everybody else in the public service.
However, we received this report. It has been referred to a commission that is always there. After every election it reviews problems of compensation for members of Parliament.
At this moment we said very clearly in the budget that salaries for members of Parliament are frozen.
Darrel Stinson Reform Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Mr. Speaker, in this report and as was stated there will be consultations with some Canadians.
Would the Prime Minister consider consulting with the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have been laid off in the last three years without generous severance payments or gold plated instant pensions?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we have discussed this many times.
Members' salaries are frozen at this time. A commission has been established by the Parliament of Canada to look at this problem neutrally. It will do its work and report to the House of Commons.
I can understand that this member feels that he is paid too much and I agree with him.
John Finlay Liberal Oxford, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
Before I ask my question, Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge that most of my constituents, most of the people of Canada, and most hon. members in this House would congratulate the Minister of Finance on a masterful and balanced budget.
Canadian press in the London Free Press of February 7, 1994 reported that 20 Canadian millionaires paid less than $100 each in income tax in 1991. The report goes on to state that 190 Canadians who earn more than $.25 million filed non-taxable returns for 1991.
Will the hon. minister assure this House that such tax loopholes will be closed in this taxation year?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development -Quebec
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has made both a comment and a question. I want to congratulate him on his comment which has certainly elevated the debate in this House.
The answer to his question is very clear. He indicates the degree of interest we have in building fairness into the system.
As he knows there are some people who did not pay taxes because they had business losses or interest on loans. The single biggest reason would appear to be the $100,000 capital gains tax exemption which we eliminated in the budget.
Osvaldo Nunez Bloc Bourassa, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. On January 26, I asked a question to the Minister regarding the deportation of a group of about fifty Salvadorian refugees from Montreal. The Minister has not dealt with the problem yet.
Today, this group of Salvadorians travelled to Ottawa, and several are here in the gallery, to demand just and equitable treatment from the Minister, given that the political situation in El Salvador has significantly deteriorated recently.
ImmigrationOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. This is getting a bit long, would the hon. member put his question.
Osvaldo Nunez Bloc Bourassa, QC
Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister waiting for to exercise the powers he has under the Immigration Act and grant permanent resident status, for hamanitarian reasons, to this group of individuals?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I find the statement by my friend a bit difficult to swallow. He asked me to meet with this group of 50 Salvadorian refugees. My officials have already met three times with the group in Montreal. I should also say that the hon. member who requested that this meeting not be held here in the first place.
As a result of the three meetings of those refugee claimants and my officials and because of the concern after the automatic review of cases from El Salvador an automatic review on top of that will be given to all failed refugee claimants. In that way we can make doubly sure through due process that has rendered an adjudication that it is in fact safe for those individuals to return to El Salvador.
Presence In GalleryOral Question Period
The Speaker
I wish to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. John Todd, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, in the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Presence In GalleryOral Question Period
The Speaker
I also wish to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Monseigneur Vinko Puljic, Archbishop of Sarajevo.
John Nunziata Liberal York South—Weston, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege regarding the 10th report of the standing committee on House management which deals with Private Members' Business. I would submit the process that has been followed infringes upon my right as a member of Parliament to advance Private Members' Business.
The House has been in session for almost two months and we have yet to begin debating or discussing Private Members' Business. Standing Order 94(1)(a) reads:
The Speaker shall make all arrangements necessary to ensure the orderly conduct of Private Members' Business
It is your responsibility, Mr. Speaker. I would submit it is your responsibility as well to ensure that the process is fair to all members.
The process that has been followed thus far is unfair. It infringes upon the rights of certain members of Parliament, particularly my rights as far as the private member's bill I introduced on February 17 dealing with the Young Offenders Act.
In effect, as a result of the 10th report of the committee, the private member's bill I introduced-and I undertook to my constituents during the election campaign to advance it in this Parliament-has effectively been blocked by a small committee of individuals meeting in camera to decide for whatever reason what bills and motions to pick as votable items in the House.
I would ask Your Honour to consider the following. The committee was required to select five bills and five motions to be debated, discussed and voted upon in the House. The committee was required to consider certain factors in its deliberations.
After these behind the scenes, in camera proceedings, which I as a member of Parliament was not entitled to attend, a decision was made on which bills were in the national interest and which bills would be given three hours of House time, plus committee time, plus the opportunity to be voted upon by members of Parliament. What are those bills?
The committee in its wisdom decided that designating hockey as the national sport of Canada was a more important piece of legislation than amendments to the Young Offenders Act. The committee also decided that it was more important to devote House time to a bill that would deal with the witness protection plan as if it affects a lot of Canadians.
PrivilegeOral Question Period
The Speaker
I am sure the hon. member will come to the point of precisely which privilege has been somehow impeded so that he cannot practise in the House. I would invite the hon. member to please come to his point.
PrivilegeOral Question Period
The Speaker
I will deal with the question of privilege first and then I will come back to the member.
John Nunziata Liberal York South—Weston, ON
Given the commitment of the government and opposition members to reforming the House of Commons, surely we have the right as private members to present a piece of legislation and to expect that the piece of legislation will be considered by the House in a meaningful way, if our commitment to parliamentary reform is genuine.
PrivilegeOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order. I think the hon. member will know the report has been adopted by the House. I suggest he may wish to take this particular grievance to the committee. I would recommend, at this point at least, that he give some consideration to doing that rather than raising it as a question of privilege in the House.
If the hon. member wishes me to rule on the question of privilege, I will take what he has said today under advisement and I will consider it.
John Nunziata Liberal York South—Weston, ON
May I finish my submission, Mr. Speaker?
John Nunziata Liberal York South—Weston, ON
No, I have not.
