Debates of May 11th, 1994

Parole

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

Mr. Speaker, the Solicitor General and I take it as our shared responsibility to ensure that the system works to avoid risk to the public.

I shall take the hon. member's question as an expression of concern that those efforts be continued. I will work with the Solicitor General in ensuring that the parole system guards against such risks to members of the public.

Tainted Blood

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

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

The Minister stated in this House, on February 3, March 23 and April 26, 1994, that the request for additional financial resources for the Krever Commission and for the Canadian Hemophilia Society was being considered by the Treasury Board. She also stated on April 26, 1994, and I quote: "The people who wish to take part in this inquiry have the right, as well as the funding they need, to appear before the Commission."

How can the Minister state that everyone who wishes to can have access to the work of the Commission when the Canadian Hemophilia Society had to lay off a third of its employees and no longer has the financial resources to send an expert to defend its members before this Commission?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it was indeed stated on the dates in question that money was available to facilitate the appearance of these groups before the Krever Commission.

It is understood that the amounts are not extravagant, but there will be funds available. They only need to make an application to the Krever Commission and the resources they require will be available.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, can the Minister assure us that the level of financial assistance provided will be adequate to meet the needs of the Canadian Hemophilia Society and enable it to defend the rights of hemophiliacs adequately?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Infrastructure

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Infrastructure.

Spring has now sprung across the country and many communities are anxiously awaiting word on their infrastructure projects. In my riding of Peterborough I have spoken to municipal officials who have submitted 40 or 50 projects to the federal-provincial body for review.

Can the minister assure the municipalities of Peterborough that decisions on infrastructure projects will be made soon.

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for giving me an opportunity to report more good news to the House.

This morning I was in Brampton where we unveiled some 19 projects of over $54 million as part of the program. Last week in Bradford more programs were announced and indeed also in Dryden, Sioux Lookout and places all over Ontario.

I can tell the member that by the end of June we expect to process some 700 applications in Ontario. I am sure some of them are going to be from Peterborough.

This also gives me an opportunity to note since I last rose in this House on this matter that we have gone from 200 projects with 3,000 jobs up to 364 projects creating almost 10,000 jobs. This government is living up to its commitment to get Canadians back to work.

National Revenue

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue.

Contrary to what the minister has previously said, there has indeed been a change in overseas tax credit policy enforcement. Nonetheless, on Friday the minister of revenue stated that the Liberal government was committed to living by the strict letter of the law.

What steps has the government taken to ensure that Revenue Canada's dogmatic application of the OTC does not violate the NAFTA and the FTA thus putting Canada at the risk of U.S. retaliation?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I have answered the question in general terms previously. The objective of this program is to give Canadian companies an opportunity to bid for overseas contracts and thus make it attractive for their Canadian employees to go overseas and take part in that work.

It is not a program to assist American or other companies to do the same thing overseas. The legislation is clear in this regard. Indeed, as I mentioned before, I am limited in my opportunity to apply the law.

With respect to the NAFTA and the FTA provisions, I am informed that we are within the spirit of the NAFTA and the FTA. However I will again check the matter at the request of the hon. member.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

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

According to officials in the department of international trade and the U.S. treasury department, the Liberal government's change in the enforcement of the OTC violates article 1402 of the FTA as well as articles 1102 and 2103:4 of the NAFTA.

In light of the international agreements, will the minister now consider amending the Income Tax Act so that the overseas tax credit does not violate Canada's international obligations?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I do not have articles 1402 and 2103:4 or the other paragraph the hon. member has mentioned.

If members of the Reform Party or other members of the opposition wish to be so specific in their questions, they should give ministers the courtesy of at least providing us with either the text of the documents they are referring to or advance warning so that we can prepare for questions in the House.

Unfortunately I cannot answer that question. I revert to my previous statement that I will look into the matter to see whether we are in full compliance, as we believe we are, with both the NAFTA and the free trade agreement.

Hepatitis C

[Pierre De Savoye, Bloc, Portneuf, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. On May 9, the Director of the Bureau of Biologics of the Department of Health said, and I quote: "There is no point in trying to track down those persons who received transfusions of blood tainted with the hepatitis C virus, because there is no vaccine or preventive treatment."

My question is as follows: Can the Minister tell us unequivocally today whether she repudiates the remarks made by her official?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I have no reason to believe that there have been any changes, and I am certainly going to ask the people in my department whether anything new has been discovered that would help us treat people with hepatitis C.

[Pierre De Savoye, Bloc, Portneuf, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister not recognize that in her capacity as the person responsible for public health, her primary duty is to inform those people who were likely to have been infected with the hepatitis C virus during blood transfusions administered since 1992?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, might I add that it might be in the best interest of all Canadians who fear they might have contacted hepatitis C due to a blood transfusion to be in contact with their physicians. That would be very advantageous to anyone who fears that.

Youth Employment

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

Last month the government made a very big deal about announcing a new series of very expensive short term make work projects for unemployed youth. Once we get beyond the press releases we find that only 2,500 of Canada's 405,000 unemployed youth will have a shot at those programs this summer. That is less than 1 per cent.

Will the minister admit that these programs are not a long term solution to youth unemployment and that implying they are is creating false hope for Canada's unemployed youth?

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

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the hon. member says, the initiatives we announced will affect far more than 2,500 students. In fact under the summer employment program there will be 60,000 summer students employed across the country.

Under the internship program, which is a very crucial program to deal with the critical problem of enabling young people to make their transition from school to work, there will be about 8,500 in the first round this year, going up to a number close to 60,000 in the full year of operation two years from now.

Under the youth service corps my colleague will be announcing very soon a number of LEAD sites which will lead to close to 10,000 to 15,000 young people being employed.

In addition, we are undertaking a number of co-operative ventures with the provinces to help to provide national standards in the schooling system.

I do not know where the hon. member gets his information. It clearly has nothing to do with the major initiative the government has announced.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the minister will admit what he is talking about are programs that were previously announced. In some cases he is talking about programs that will actually take effect in years to come. Indeed this summer there will be 2,500 new positions opened up.

The facts show that despite having dozens of these programs over the last 20-odd years, youth unemployment has almost doubled since the 1970s to its present 17.4 per cent. It is no coincidence that unemployment has risen with the debt and deficit levels.

Will the minister acknowledge that the debt is the single biggest killer of jobs in the country and every day it fails to cut spending his government is contributing to high levels of unemployment?

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

Mr. Speaker, I say with all due apology and deference to the hon. member that I do not think he knows what he is talking about. On the one hand he says cut programs, cut spending, do not do anything about it, and in the question before he said do more, get more people to work.

Before the hon. member asks a question he should make up his mind what he believes in.

Government Appointments

[Beth Phinney, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the government House leader.

We all want appointees to government boards and agencies to be fair minded, free of partisan political pressure, and accountable to the public. While we recognize that board members are not employees of the government in the traditional sense, what can the government do to ensure that those who sit on these boards act in the best interest of all Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has asked an important question. Our approach is twofold.

First, we are appointing people on the basis of competence and merit and, second, when it comes to the National Parole Board I have said on behalf of the government that I intend to introduce legislation in the House to create a system of accountability and discipline for parole board members.

Certainly our experience with this system is something that can be looked at in terms of other commissions and boards. I look forward to having the hon. member's input, as I do that of all members of the House, in dealing with this important issue.

Seniors

[Maurice Dumas, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the minister responsible for senior citizens. Yesterday, in response to my question about the plan to use voice mail to answer requests for information from senior citizens, the minister merely stressed the efficiency of the proposed service.

However, senior citizens do not like this kind of service, and they have made that clear through the representative for the Fédération de l'âge d'or.

Considering the special needs of senior citizens and disabled persons, would the minister responsible for senior citizens agree that the general use of voice mail in dealing with this particular clientele is entirely inappropriate?

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

Mr. Speaker, it seems to me the most important requirement for a program of assistance to seniors or to any Canadian through government administration is to make sure that they have good, effective service, that it does not take a long time, that there are no delays, and that it is a personalized service.

Under the program we are introducing, because we will be able to finally bring management into the modern age through the development of new information technologies we will be able to have a much speedier system. It gives us more opportunity to provide direct personalized service on an individual basis through phones or other bases.

Surely to goodness in this day and age even the Bloc Quebecois is interested in better service.

[Maurice Dumas, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, why does the federal government insist on attacking senior citizens, considering that most of them find it very difficult to deal with a system that is so impersonal?

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

Mr. Speaker, that kind of comment is absolutely irresponsible. There is nothing we are doing that will hurt seniors. By saying those kinds of things in the House the hon. member is responsible for spreading false alarms.

The fact of the matter is we are bringing in a better program, a more efficient, more personalized and more direct service to give better service to seniors. We have to ask the hon. member to stop spreading that kind of misstatement and misinformation.