House of Commons Hansard #100 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was csis.
Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC
Mr. Speaker, my unexpected question is for the Minister of Transport.
Last July 13, in the middle of summer, when Canadians were on vacation, the Minister of Transport announced a national air transportation strategy. This strategy is patterned on the airport policy which will impact all regions of Quebec and Canada.
Does the minister have a contingency plan to keep airports open, should local airport authorities become unable to fulfill their management mandate?
Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member just mentioned, the implementation of a national airport policy was made public and three levels of airports were identified. I hope that, with the co-operation of all those concerned, we will succeed in implementing an efficient and safe system, as well as one which will reduce the taxpayers' burden.
We do not want to prejudge how things will go. We have two to five years to come up with final solutions based on problems experienced in each of the affected locations. I hope to be able to count on the hon. member's co-operation to arrive at the best possible solution. If things do not workout, we will review the situation. However, based on the results so far, I am very confident that the system announced last July will be a real success right across the country.
Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC
Mr. Speaker, before making his plan public, did the minister ensure that municipalities had the necessary financial resources to manage regional airports without any reduction in services?
Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. member knows that there are some 725 certified airports in Canada.
Transport Canada is involved in the management of only 150 of those airports, either as owner or operator. Already, in every province, there are airports operating very successfully, without federal involvement. The hon. member for Beauport-Montmorency-Orléans and his colleagues from the opposition keep reminding us of the need to manage our operations efficiently and to reduce the deficit. This is precisely what we are trying to do.
Werner Schmidt Reform Okanagan Centre, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal promise to restore trust and public confidence in the government has been broken. The Liberals criticized the Conservative government for the appointment of its political friends. They said they would appoint people only on the basis of competence. There are many very competent people who are not high level Liberals, yet once again yesterday or the day before we saw that this government has appointed one of its own.
My question is for the Prime Minister. I notice the Prime Minister is not here but it is directed to him.
Government AppointmentsOral Question Period
The Speaker
I invite the hon. member to put his question.
Werner Schmidt Reform Okanagan Centre, BC
I stand corrected. My apologies, Mr. Speaker.
How can the public trust be restored when this government continues to blatantly make patronage appointments to reward their loyal Liberals?
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC
Mr. Speaker, while Canada has won all the binational panel reviews on the matter, the American government is now considering the possibility of paying back the 800 million dollars it owes to timber producers in Canada and Quebec. United States politicians and businessmen are furious against Canada and the very integrity of the Free Trade Agreement is threatened.
Meanwhile, the Minister for International Trade can do no better than hope that a cheque will come in soon.
My question is for the Minister for International Trade. Why is he content with just waiting for the Americans to pay us back? Why does he not demand that this circus be stopped and that the sums owing be paid immediately? All we are asking is for the government to put its foot down on this issue.
Roy MacLaren LiberalMinister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, the United States is reimbursing the amounts collected after March of this year. With regard to the amounts collected prior to March, the process is under way for the full reimbursement of the outstanding amount plus interest.
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC
Mr. Speaker, we would like this government to assume its responsibilities towards the timber producers. Can the government assure this House that it will take all the steps required in order to solve this problem before the end of the current year? The minister seems to forget that almost a billion dollars are at stake here.
Roy MacLaren LiberalMinister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I fully share the member's eagerness to see this situation resolved. We have pursued our discussions with the United States administration at the highest level. We have received assurances that the amounts will be fully refunded.
John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB
Mr. Speaker, a report on the funding of interest groups is scheduled to be completed by the Treasury Board tomorrow.
Will the President of the Treasury Board commit to immediate action and tell this House how soon we can expect big cuts to special interest groups, saving the taxpayers millions of dollars in wasted spending?
Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, there will be no announcement tomorrow if that is what is anticipated by the hon. member.
However, I will say that the staff of the Treasury Board has been working on guidelines. We will issue guidelines to the various departments with respect to dealing with the issue of special interest groups and their funding. We will be asking the different departments to address this issue in the framework of the program review.
I do anticipate, like all other aspects of the program review, that there will be cuts because we do need to have these cuts to get our spending in line and get the deficit down. Therefore, we will be issuing those guidelines to the various departments to examine their grants.
John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB
Mr. Speaker, we were led to believe that an announcement was coming tomorrow. There had been a study commissioned by the previous government that was produced last February. Here we are talking about more discussions and having more debate about when and where we are going to cut.
How soon will we get serious action on the cutting of funds to special interest groups so that the Minister of Finance can make some real cuts in the deficit which has to be addressed today?
Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, it will be part and parcel of the program review which is in turn part and parcel of the consultation process that the Minister of Finance will be engaging in. When the budget is out next February members will see those cuts and how they are going to be made.
Jean-Guy Chrétien Bloc Frontenac, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General and Leader of the Government in the House. During a recent debate in the House of Commons on the financing of political parties, many members from all political parties supported a motion to ensure democratic and popular financing of political parties, by putting a $5000 ceiling on public contributions to federal political parties.
Since a dozen of his government colleagues supported that motion, does the Leader of the Government recognize the need for the democratization of the financing of political parties by using the Quebec model?
Herb Gray LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, we already have a democratic system for collecting election funds, but we could conduct a study on this matter by using the Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. It is not my responsibility to take such a request to that committee, but I think it would be a useful matter for the committee to examine in due time.
Jean-Guy Chrétien Bloc Frontenac, QC
Mr. Speaker, must we understand from the response of the Leader of the Government in the House that he prefers unlimited financing by big corporations as opposed to ordinary citizens to ensure the operation of his party, the Liberal Party of Canada?
Herb Gray LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I think that the member got me wrong. All members in this House are interested in that matter and that is why I suggest that it be examined by the Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, although the motion was rejected by a majority in the House.
Grant Hill Reform Macleod, AB
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada approved silicon breast implants, many of them made by Dow Corning. Many women today are suffering because of that decision.
Now the health minister has commissioned a study to look at the effects. Who is financing that study?
Hedy Fry LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, this is a matter that I will have to take under advisement and ask the Minister of Health because I do not know of any such study at the moment.
Grant Hill Reform Macleod, AB
Mr. Speaker, Dow Corning has just settled out of court in the U.S. for some $4 billion. Who do you think is funding this study?
HealthOral Question Period
The Speaker
I take it the question is posed to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and not to me.
Hedy Fry LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the settlements that have been made in the United States are an entirely different matter from the hon. member's first question.
You know that the Government of Canada had applied to-