House of Commons Hansard #248 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was privacy.

Topics

Bank Of CanadaOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Reform

Herb Grubel Reform Capilano—Howe Sound, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is very disappointing on this side of the House to ask questions about changes in the responsiveness of national institutions to the demands of the regions and the provinces.

My supplementary question also concerns the Bank of Canada. Does the minister consider it feasible for a central bank to be administered by directors who are citizens of two separate sovereign states, both of which use the same currency?

Bank Of CanadaOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Scarborough East Ontario

Liberal

Doug Peters LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member asks a very interesting question. There are, I believe, some smaller, mini-states that have co-operative currency boards.

The only two countries that I know of which use another country's currency are Liberia and Panama. They both use the U.S. dollar. Anybody who thinks that those two countries have some influence on the Federal Reserve Board in Washington is living in the same dream land as the separatists.

Route CanadaOral Question Period

3 p.m.

NDP

Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was the second anniversary of the culmination of the 1993 election campaign. During that campaign-

Route CanadaOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Route CanadaOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Liberal

David Collenette Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Tell us what happened.

Route CanadaOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Liberal

Ralph Goodale Liberal Regina—Wascana, SK

What happened, Bill?

Route CanadaOral Question Period

3 p.m.

NDP

Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB

I knew that was coming. During that campaign the Liberals made certain promises and commitments to a group of Canadians who were hurt by the way Route Canada was privatized by the previous Conservative government. They made promises that the injustices done to these people would be resolved.

I ask whoever is speaking for the government on this matter today to say what progress the government feels it has made. When will those commitments be kept? When will the injustices done to those employees of Route Canada be finally resolved to their satisfaction?

Route CanadaOral Question Period

3 p.m.

London East Ontario

Liberal

Joe Fontana LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his interest in the matter, along with a number of my colleagues on this side of the House who are very concerned about the question.

The bankruptcy trustee and the RCMP conducted extensive investigations into the company's conduct. Charges and sentences have followed. I take this opportunity to ensure members of the House and former employees of CN Route Canada that the rumours their pensions and pension benefits are at risk are wrong.

If they need additional information I encourage them to call the CN pension office. I assure them that their pension benefits have been protected by the government and that other issues will be looked at.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Liberal

Ben Serré Liberal Timiskaming—French-River, ON

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of the Environ-

ment. On the issue of implementing policies and regulations aimed at preventing pollution, are the federal and provincial governments working together to agree on stricter standards for cars and cleaner gas?

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, at their meeting, Canada's environment ministers agreed, unanimously I might add, that the country should adopt stricter standards. The federal government is prepared to proceed in this respect.

When important issues like health and environment are discussed, the federal and provincial governments have shown a remarkable degree of co-operation, and we can expect that to continue.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Beaver River, AB

Mr. Speaker, my point of order arises out of question period and the question asked by my colleague from Calgary West.

After he asked his question and received an answer from the government the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans pointed at me, the member for Beaver River, my seatmate from Calgary Southwest, and my colleague from Calgary West who had asked the question and said: "You're an ass, you're an ass and you're an ass".

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Beaver River, AB

He then went on to say right after that: "You are snakes". Third, he said: "You would love a yes vote. You are salivating".

I would ask you, Mr. Speaker, to ask the member (a) to withdraw and (b) to explain how in the world this will help the cause of national unity.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

Evidently the hon. minister of fisheries was named. If he wishes to add something to this point I would be willing to hear him.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, there are only three things in the world I am sure about.

One is that we should have a no vote on Monday night; two, we should all be in Montreal tomorrow; and, three, I should have called them donkeys.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

The Speaker

I did not hear any of these statements. I do not know if they will appear in Hansard . If indeed the hon. minister said these words I would appeal to him to simply withdraw them.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Brian Tobin Liberal Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte, NL

Mr. Speaker, if anything I have said has caused any cause for alarm by my colleague opposite, whose sensitivities are well known, I withdraw.

Business Of The HouseOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would appreciate it if the Leader of the Government would let us know what he has in mind for the next few days.

Business Of The HouseOral Question Period

3:05 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, we will continue this afternoon and tomorrow with consideration of report stage of Bill C-61 regarding agricultural penalties. We will then return to second reading of Bill C-99 on small business loans. If this is completed we plan to return to second reading debate on Bill C-88.

On Monday we will commence report stage of Bill C-7, followed by report stage of Bill C-103, followed by Bill C-94. We intend to schedule the third reading debates on these bills and Bill C-61 at the earliest time procedurally possible.

As soon as business permits next week we will call the second reading stages of Bill C-95 and Bill C-96. I expect that Thursday, November 1, will be an allotted day.

This completes my weekly business statement.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

October 26th, 1995 / 3:05 p.m.

Reform

John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB

Mr. Speaker, on December 1, 1994 I placed the following question on the Order Paper:

For each department, agency and crown corporation, how many employees, including parliamentary agents, governor in council appointees, armed forces personnel and RCMP personnel receive, or will receive, the following benefits for one year or more: (a) a living allowance for a second residence and (b) a transportation allowance (or transportation) from home to place of work where distance exceeds 40 kilometres, and if any receive the foregoing, (i) what is the cost per individual recipient, (ii) what is the rank, position or title of each recipient and (iii) is the tax deducted at the source for these benefits".

I thought it was a fairly simple question.

Next Tuesday it will be 11 months since I placed that question on the Order Paper. The question was prompted by the revelation that the Commissioner of Official Languages was being chauffeur

driven between Montreal and Ottawa each week and had an apartment supplied to him in Ottawa courtesy of the government, all because the job was in Ottawa but he preferred to live in Montreal.

Standing Order 39(5)(a) gives a member the right to ask for a response in 45 days. This is not a problem of delay but a problem of avoidance on the part of the government. Questions on the Order Paper are methods by which we as the opposition to the government, on behalf of Canadians in general, may hold the government accountable and obtain the facts concerning benefits given to its appointees that are not available to the public at large.

I ask you, Mr. Speaker, to look into the matter for me pursuant to Standing Order 39(5)(a) and find out why I do not have a response from the government to my question.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3:10 p.m.

Kingston and the Islands Ontario

Liberal

Peter Milliken LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member and Job have a lot in common when it comes to patience. I respect the fact the hon. member has been very patient in waiting for a reply, but he read his question and therein lies the problem in getting the answer.

He has asked for every department, agency and crown corporation how many employees meet certain criteria and he has asked for specifics on each of the employees. When we add up all the agencies, crown corporations and departments, including the armed forces, the RCMP and so on, the Government of Canada has over half a million employees as far as I am aware.

Every department will have to go through every list of every employee and every agency will have to do the same, including the Department of National Defence and the Armed Forces of Canada.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Marlene Catterall Liberal Ottawa West, ON

How much is this going to cost?

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Milliken Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

This will cost a fortune. The hon. member does not care about that despite their pretence of claiming they are interested in thrift. He will insist on this answer. We will get him the answer. It is nearing completion, but I am sure it will be an extremely voluminous answer.

I hope he has a long holiday coming up from Parliament so he can sit down and read it when he gets it.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3:10 p.m.

The Speaker

Is the matter settled?

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3:10 p.m.

Reform

John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB

Can I respond to that?