House of Commons Hansard #87 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was crime.
Myron Thompson Reform Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, could the minister explain to me how this material got into the hands of 10, 11 and 12 year olds in schools across the country? Will the people over there laugh when their grandchildren bring that kind of garbage home?
Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, this information was certainly not put together for young children, but these kinds of behaviour are extremely risky. Those who do participate in these kinds of behaviours should have the knowledge they need to make sure they do not spread the AIDS virus.
Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC
Mr. Speaker, 25 years after passage of the Official Languages Act and 20 years after the debate on the use of French in air traffic control communications, French-language air traffic control services are still not available everywhere over the Quebec territory.
Airspace over the North Shore and the Magdalen Islands is covered by the Moncton control unit which offers services in English only; it takes eight to fifteen minutes to obtain services in French.
My question is for the Minister of Transport. Can the minister tell us why some regions of Quebec still do not have access to effective and fast air traffic control services in French and does he not agree that those regions would be better served by a control centre or unit offering bilingual services?
Air Traffic Control CommunicationsOral Question Period
Acadie—Bathurst New Brunswick
Liberal
Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I am always surprised to see my colleague's commitment to bilingualism. To answer his question, I would reply that we always try to provide services in both official languages of Canada where it is necessary. There will always be some corridors here and there in Canada where it will be more difficult to offer services in English and French, that is in both languages.
We made all possible efforts, and I think even my hon. colleague will admit that Canada has made fantastic efforts in order to offer services in French in Quebec airspace.
Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC
Mr. Speaker, does the minister not agree that if the coverage of airspace over the North Shore and the Magdalen Islands were transferred to the Quebec control unit, traffic control would be sufficient to keep it operational and Transport Canada could then offer quality services in French to all regions of Quebec?
Air Traffic Control CommunicationsOral Question Period
Acadie—Bathurst New Brunswick
Liberal
Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker we are very proud of the air navigational system in Canada. It is as good as any system anywhere in the world.
What we attempt to do in Canada is to prevent the kinds of incidents that would be deplorable whether they occurred in Quebec or any other part of the country.
Our responsibility is to provide a first class air navigational system. That is what we do, and we can provide it from a bilingual province like New Brunswick just as well as we can provide it from anywhere in Quebec.
Eleni Bakopanos Liberal Saint-Denis, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the parliamentary secretary to the minister in charge of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
On June 8, federal, provincial and territorial housing ministers met in Bathurst, New Brunswick, to discuss among other things a social housing strategy aimed at helping low-income Canadians.
Could the parliamentary secretary tell us what concrete steps the federal and provincial governments have agreed to in their efforts to house Canadians in need?
Ronald J. Duhamel LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, there were a number of agreements.
There is agreement to remove and reduce duplication and overlap and to harmonize the building codes in Canada. They have completed consultations on environmental problems but, most important, it was agreed to develop new partnerships, to develop additional strategies to attack social housing, to-
I am saying so for everyone, through the Speaker.
-establish priority of need in each of the jurisdictions by the end of the summer and to come forward with new concrete initiatives that they will develop from the savings and efficiencies that they have undertaken.
It is a boon for Canadians who earn low income in remote, small, isolated rural and urban areas, as well as for home owners and renters.
Randy White Reform Fraser Valley West, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
On September 19, 1993 a young lady in my riding was raped by an illegal immigrant. I have in my possession a lengthy criminal record of that individual which reflects sex offences, drunk driving, theft and on and on it goes.
What system is in place to ensure that people like this are kicked out of Canada and stay out of Canada?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, this government does not accept illegal immigrants as much as this member or this party. In fact, tomorrow we will be tabling legislation in the House of Commons to further strengthen the fact that those individuals who come here illegally and who commit crimes against the very system of justice and values that we believe in as Canadians will pay the price. Those amendments will be an effort to further strengthen the laws and those who wish to abuse our laws will pay the price.
Randy White Reform Fraser Valley West, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister is going to have a good opportunity today to show how well he backs that up. This young lady agreed to drop the sexual
assault charges on the condition that this repeat offender was deported which he was in November last year.
Now I find this chronic sex offender, this failed refugee claimant is back in my community to appear, by invitation from this minister's officials, at a second hearing to be allowed to stay in Canada.
Why is this man even getting a hearing in the first place? Why has the government reneged on its promise to keep this criminal out of Canada?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I do not intend to engage on the floor of the House of Commons in a case when the member has not given me advanced notice of the person's name or the case file.
The member may not wish to respect the privacy legislation, due process. I say again to the hon. member that no one on that side has a virtue or a monopoly on virtue about those cases that are abhorrent to all Canadians.
I will certainly look at the case that the hon. member speaks about. Tomorrow we will be putting forward amendments with the aim of making it very, very clear that those in the minority who abuse will have those loopholes closed. I hope that his party looks forward to the speedy passage of that legislation.
Jean-Marc Jacob Bloc Charlesbourg, QC
Mr. Speaker, in a report released yesterday, the Canadian Committee for the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations is proposing the implementation and funding by Canada of a peacemaking unit which would be at the disposal of the UN to take part in different peace missions. This UN rapid intervention standing force would particularly be used to prevent conflicts and massacres, to protect humanitarian assistance convoys and to maintain interposition forces for the enforcement of ceasefires.
My question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In the context of the review of the Canadian foreign policy and defence policies, is the minister in favour of this recommendation to create a Canadian peacemaking unit?
André Ouellet LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, that is a very interesting proposal which will certainly be examined on its merits by the parliamentary committee mandated to review our foreign policy and defence policies.
Jean-Marc Jacob Bloc Charlesbourg, QC
Mr. Speaker, I greatly appreciate the minister's answer, because it gives some leeway to the joint committee on foreign policy review as well as the joint committee on defence, and I thank him for it.
Can the minister also tell us if he agrees with another proposal made by that committee to increase the membership of the UN Security Council in order to accept more developing countries?
André Ouellet LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member must know that, indeed, studies are currently being done within the UN Security Council. In fact, at the last UN meeting, a special committee was given the mandate to review the membership of the Security Council. Several proposals are currently being examined.
Canada is very interested in a Security Council that would better reflect the current reality of the UN, in view of the fact that a considerable number of countries have been added since the creation of the first Security Council. Canada did not make any specific proposal, but we are examining very actively different proposals currently under review. When that special committee tables its report, Canada will certainly be at the forefront of a major reform of the Security Council.
Art Hanger Reform Calgary Northeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. It is further to the question raised by my colleague from Fraser Valley West.
The minister in the past has told Canadians that these are isolated cases, the aeroplane analogy as I call it. I would like him to tell that to the young lady anxiously awaiting the results of her HIV test while this rapist walks the streets of her neighbourhood.
My question is this. In Matsqui prison in B.C. today is another repeat offender who has been ordered deported nine times. Does the minister intend to deport this rapist nine times as well? How many innocent citizens must suffer because of government incompetence and inaction?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, it seems the Reform Party takes great pleasure in citing cases where it seeks to exploit whereas we see cases and we try to fix the system that allows those cases to occur.
There is a big difference. The gory details, day in and day out, give no satisfaction and no pleasure to any member on this side as it does not give any pleasure or satisfaction to that side. We have laws. We have a process. We also move to deport individuals and we have. We will further strengthen that.
I will give a commitment to look into those individual cases, but I refuse to engage on the floor of the House of Commons to give out justice Reform Party style.
Art Hanger Reform Calgary Northeast, AB
I have a supplemental, Mr. Speaker.
At the present time we are waiting results from consultations and studies. I would like to offer the minister the chance to show Canadians that his bite is as big as his bark.
The hearing for the once deported rapist that my colleague referred to will be held at 8.30 a.m. tomorrow. Will this minister stop this hearing immediately, deport this individual and guarantee Canadians that he will never ever enter Canada again?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, first, I am not aware of the individual case.
Second, if the hon. member is as concerned about this case as he demonstrates on the floor of the House of Commons, I caution him that that excitement can in fact throw the case out because he and other members could be in contempt of court.
First, why don't you settle down? Maybe you should settle down.
Second, if you do have the case at heart and want to create justice, do not be in contempt of court and do not give that individual any further legal angles.
ImmigrationOral Question Period
The Speaker
I am sure all hon. members will want to include the Speaker in their answers and in their questions, absolutely.
Bernard Patry Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Transport. As a result of the air embargo against Haiti, Canadian nationals are in a hurry to leave the country. However, this morning, we were informed by the media that several Canadians, men and women, could not leave Haiti even if they had valid return tickets because of an airfare increase at Air Canada.
What does the minister intend to do to deal with that situation?
Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I just found out today about the allegations referred to by the hon. member. I want to say that we obviously have no control over airfares charged by airlines. However, I want to tell all the members of this House that we are very concerned by this whole issue, if those allegations are founded.
Although we do not have any regulatory power on this particular issue, it is with a great degree of sadness that we learned of this kind of situation having developed in Haiti, if in fact the allegations are correct. We will want to inquire. I am sure that the carrier in question will want to explain the facts of the situation and make sure that Canadians understand exactly what did take place.
Osvaldo Nunez Bloc Bourassa, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. For several months now, immigration officers, especially in Montreal and Toronto, have been requiring from refugees whose status has been recognized by the Immigration and Refugee Board a passport from their country of origin. They have been requesting those people to contact their embassy or consulate to apply for a passport in order for them to review their application for permanent resident status.
My question is this. Is the minister aware that the demand imposed by immigration officers upon refugees whose status has been recognized jeopardizes the safety of those people and that of their families in their countries of origin?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, documentation is normally required after a refugee is accepted and upon landing. I think it would be easily understood that documentation for a number of individuals is impossible if in fact they are refugees. If they are fleeing from a regime, documentation sometimes is an impossibility, which is taken into account.