Debates of Nov. 23rd, 1995

Department Of Human Resources Development Act

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

In my opinion the nays have it.

And more than five members having risen:

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

Pursuant to Standing Order 45, the division on the question now before the House stands deferred until Monday, November 27 at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment, at which time the bells to call in the members will be sounded for not more than 15 minutes.

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I wish to seek the unanimous consent of the House to further defer the vote until Tuesday at the ordinary hour of adjournment.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Auditor General Act

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment]

moved that Bill C-83, an Act to amend the Auditor General Act, be read the third time and passed.

[Clifford Lincoln, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to take part in the debate on Bill C-83 at third reading and to support this legislation which will establish for the first time within the federal government the position of Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.

Not so long ago, maybe 20 to 25 years ago, the environment was not among the major concerns of the government. In fact, most of the environment departments, at the federal and the provincial levels, were only set up during the 1970s. At that time, the environment was considered a self-contained issue. It was dealt with within one department, as were all the other areas, such as health, education, finance or revenue. Each department saw to its own business, without thinking about integrating elements from other departments.

Little by little, we realized over the last 25 years that everything that relates to one area, such as environment, taxation, transporta-

tion, health, is also interrelated with other areas. Nowadays, we cannot talk about the environment without addressing the issues of health, economy, energy, taxation, public transportation. Everything is linked together.

In fact, all things are interdependent. The whole environmental issue hinges on ecosystems and biodiversity. We need something to support all forms of life, our natural resources and everything that is essential to the wealth of any country, of any community.

We realize today that the only way for us to protect the environment and to ensure that sustainable development is a constant concern in our lives is to integrate the environment with all other aspects of government. That is why it is becoming increasingly important to talk not only about the environment, but also about sustainable development, biodiversity and interdependence.

That is why, in an ideal world, we would not even need an environment department. In an ideal world, such a department would not be needed because every department, whether it be the Department of Health, Finance, Transport or Fisheries, would in itself be a sustainable development department, an environment department.

But we are far from this ideal world. We still need a Department of the Environment to act as a watchdog and to ensure that environmental protection becomes an integral part of the agenda of all other departments.

This is the central objective of Bill C-83. The central objective is to ensure that each ministry of the government, whether it be finance, transportation, health, or any other ministry, will be convinced that the way to promote the environmental cause is to make each ministry's activities and actions sustainable in the long term.

The reason for the bill is to ensure sustainable development strategies within the aegis of each ministry of the federal government. We have now constituted Bill C-83 to install a commissioner of environment and sustainable development within the office of the auditor general to monitor and inspire sustainable development strategies to be installed in each ministry of government, subject to public scrutiny through the office of the commissioner; the commissioner being installed within the office of the auditor general with all the autonomy and independence the office implies and sanctions.

The idea will be for these sustainable development strategies to be public in scope and accountable to the people of Canada through Parliament. They will have to be filed in Parliament and will be monitored by the commissioner who will have to report on them.

Bill C-83 will require the sustainable development strategies to be upgraded on a systematic basis so that the commissioner will have a benchmark starting in two years on the progress of these sustainable development strategies, considering the evolution of society in all its forms.

The office of the commissioner for environment and sustainable development is a key development in the governance of federal institutions. Besides the very important task of monitoring the sustainable development strategies of the ministries, another extremely important element of the commissioner's duties will be to be accountable to the public at large so that the public will have access to the commissioner's office to inquire, to complain if necessary, about the activities of the various ministries with regard to their sustainable development strategies and their environmental consciences.

The second element of public participation, that of accountability to the public, is a feature of the act which is almost if not as important as the first because the two are intertwined. This will provoke a transparent act, a bill that opens the scope of government to the public to ensure the government not only preach the preservation and enhancement of natural resources and the ecosystems that sustain all activities, but put the theory, the concept and the principles into practice in the every day governing of the various ministries of government.

Bill C-83 in that sense is a great step forward for the government, a clear achievement for the Minister of the Environment, in having recognized the necessity for the office in the red book which was the flag ship of the Liberal Party of Canada during the last election and, more important, to have carried out this key commitment at an early stage in its evolution as a government.

I am very pleased to have been part of the standing committee that examined and reported on the concept and office of a commissioner of environment and sustainable development. We are the first industrialized country of our size to have implemented such an office. We followed the lead of a very small country, a leading country of the world in this sense, New Zealand, which seven years ago installed an office of commissioner of sustainable development.

During the course of our hearings we were fortunate to have had the benefit of the experience and the advice of the commissioner for New Zealand, whose trail blazing work today has been the source of inspiration for ourselves. It is our hope that now that Canada has gone forward with the red book commitment and installed a commissioner for environment and sustainable development, this will become a practice that hopefully will be followed by the other nations of the world.

All of us are in this together. The environment is the most global issue of them all. Today we are committed as a nation to many international treaties such as the conventions on climate change and on biodiversity.

We are committed to the commission on sustainable development. We are committed to so many international instruments concerning environment and sustainable development that as we act, as we move forward, we set a tone, a benchmark which I firmly hope in this case will be followed by others in Canada and beyond.

I think Bill C-83-Could we ask these gentlemen to let me conclude my remarks?

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

Many members are coming into the Chamber for question period but I ask for the co-operation of the entire House while the parliamentary secretary concludes his remarks.

[Clifford Lincoln, Liberal, Lachine—Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I hope that all of the political parties represented in the House of Commons will consider this bill a positive, constructive and trail-blazing piece of legislation.

We may not have gone as far as the committee wanted to go at first, but I do think that our final resolution, the conclusion we have come to, is realistic and constructive, and is a huge step forward, not only for the federal government, but for all of Canada. This bill will show that the government is now firmly committed to sustainable development, not only through its environment department, but through all of its departments, all of the machinery of government. It will be up to us, as members of Parliament, and up to the people to ensure that the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development not only follows up on the sustainable development strategies, but also voices our concerns and puts pressure on all the governments, the current one, the next one and all the others after that. All this will mean that, for the government and the population, sustainable development will become one of our concerns and part of our daily lives.

I think Bill C-83 is a big step in the right direction for all of us. I am pleased to see today that it has come so far and that it will become a reality very soon, and I hope it will be passed by the Senate very fast so that it can come into effect as soon as possible.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

I will take a moment to clarify a matter we dealt with earlier with reference to Bill C-96, following an intervention of the chief government whip, on vote deferrals.

It is my understanding the recorded division on second reading of Bill C-96 is deferred not to the ordinary hour of daily adjournment but to the end of government business on Tuesday, November 28.

[The Speaker]

It being 2 p.m. we will now proceed to Statements by Members.

Seniors' Safety Week

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this week is Seniors' Safety Week. While growing old is as inevitable as taxes we know that seniors should remain active and stay in their own homes for as long as possible. It is integral to their good health.

Ironically the home is one of the least safe places for seniors. In Canada accidental death or injury leading to hospitalization that is often permanent is three times higher for seniors than for any other age group. These injuries exact high psychological and social costs on seniors. They lead to loss of independence and mobility, and fear and anxiety lead to isolation.

Therefore making home and consumer products safe is the best health promotion for seniors. Health Canada promotes increased safety awareness among seniors and their care givers. Access to devices and home improvements that ensure safe living environments for seniors are a priority for the government, which is why we support the Canada Safety Council's national safety week campaign.

I urge all members of the House to work toward safer communities for seniors. We will all be living in them eventually.

Gun Control

[Jim Gouk, Reform, Kootenay West—Revelstoke, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Senate has now passed the infamous firearms legislation. For some it may be considered a victory but it is a very hollow victory at best.

The government has made some vague promises of safer streets and safer homes by introducing mandatory registration of rifles and shotguns. The Minister of Justice has never explained how cracking down on law-abiding citizens is going to prevent the criminal misuse of firearms. Obviously, criminals are not going to register anything they own.

I believe the legislation is nothing more than a very thin smoke screen to offer a false sense of safety to Canadians who are

concerned about the growing crime problem in this country and to take pressure off a government that seems unwilling to do anything meaningful about it.

There is a tremendous cost involved in the legislation. The set-up cost is $118.9 million by the minister's own figures, and registration itself will cost hundreds of millions more.

At a time when we are seeing federal cutbacks in transfer payments for health care, post-secondary education and various social programs, should the government not be reconsidering its priorities and refocusing the spending of what money it has in areas more meaningful than the registration of firearms belonging to law-abiding taxpayers in this country?

Tobacco

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, studies in the U.S. show that smoking causes 415,000 deaths in a year and $50 billion in medical care costs.

Smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death. The immediate causes of death are a wide variety of cancers and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Yet 48 million young Americans still smoke. Twenty-four billion packs of cigarettes are purchased each year. Every pack sold causes $4 of expenditures on smoking related health care.

As 70 per cent of smokers begin before the age of 18 years, discouraging smoking among the young is essential if we are to cope with this problem. It has been shown that the young prefer the most heavily advertised brands. Here in Canada we must discourage our children from smoking.

These facts are from the 1994 issues of the morbidity and mortality weekly report of the Massachusetts Medical Society, 1440 Main Street, Waltham, Massachusetts, 02154. I would be glad to provide extracts to anyone interested.

Mothers Against Drinking And Driving

[John Murphy, Liberal, Annapolis Valley—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, November 16, I attended the local kick-off for the Mothers Against Drinking and Driving red ribbon campaign in the town of Kentville in my riding of Annapolis Valley-Hants. The red ribbon project is this organization's most visible grassroots campaign. Each red ribbon serves as a reminder for motorists to be safe and sober drivers during the holiday season and throughout the year.

In 1994 over 1,700 people were killed in alcohol related accidents. That works out to 4.6 people per day. By working to raise awareness on this issue, we can all help to prevent the senseless deaths and injuries that result from drinking and driving.

I have a red ribbon tied to the antenna of my car. I would ask that all members of the House support this very worthwhile campaign by doing the same.

Canada Oceans Act

[Jean Payne, Liberal, St. John's West, NL]

Mr. Speaker, on June 14 the government tabled Bill C-98, the Canada Oceans Act. This legislation is structured to provide a legal framework for the implementation of a new ocean management strategy. The Canada Oceans Act is needed to enable nation-wide management of our oceans on an ecosystem basis while ensuring that economic opportunities are achieved.

The province of Newfoundland is unique in its location and its dependency on intelligent oceans resource management. For this reason, the Canada Oceans Act is a landmark piece of legislation and is directed at the promotion of sustainable development and the protection of ocean resources.

With the Canada Oceans Act came the merger of the Canadian Coast Guard and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. One key role for this integrated fleet will be fisheries conservation inside the 200-mile limit. Groundfish and other species will be protected while nature rebuilds these resources and shellfish will be protected from over-exploitation.

The Canada Oceans Act signals a renewal of Canada's-

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Macleod.

Medicare

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, medicare is important to all Canadians.

Medicare deserves a federal health minister who can adapt to major inevitable changes, like new technology, which will be expensive; like a population that is aging, which will also be expensive; and like government debt, with a federal Department of Health spending $1,200 per person per year on debt service and just $268 per person per year on health.

We need a keen, adaptable minister with fresh ideas. What do we have? We have a minister out of her depth, who is fining the provinces for the delivery of health care that does not match her interpretation of the Canada Health Act.

Medicare deserves better. Canadians deserve better. Federal fines for medicare mean failure.

Transfer Payments

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last month the Liberal government reduced federal transfer payments to Saskatchewan by a further $244 million. With a stroke of a pen, Saskatchewan's budget surplus has been wiped out.

Saskatchewan was the first province in Canada to produce a balanced budget without hurting those in need. This latest Liberal action will hurt those in need most.

Provinces have been under constant attack from the Liberal government's cutting of transfer payments. The Liberals' slashing of post-secondary education funding means higher education will only be available to wealthy families.

The reduction in transfer payments to the provinces is damaging to Canada's inter-generational and inter-regional sharing. Forcing young Canadians to pay more for their post-secondary education could cause them to lose sympathy for their elders. We ought not be surprised if soon these young people in turn demand that other generations, such as seniors, finance their own social and economic needs on a pay as you go basis as well.

Is this the Liberal vision for Canada, pitting one generation against the other?

Winter Cities Conference

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the hosting in Winnipeg next February of the Seventh International Winter Cities Conference and Showcase.

This conference will bring together mayors and business leaders from more than sixty different cities and twenty-six countries, to share their knowledge and ideas about what it is to live in a winter city.

By hosting Winter Cities '96, those of us who live and work in Winnipeg will be able to demonstrate to the rest of Canada and indeed to the rest of the world that we are immensely proud of our city and delighted to share it.

Winter Cities '96 is also a tremendous chance for Canadian businesses to showcase and promote their talents. At the moment, over 200 volunteers are hard at work preparing to welcome visitors from over 60 cities and 26 different countries.

I would like to thank them for their hard work.

I am sure that Winnipeg will make this Winter Cities Conference the most successful yet.

Cp Rail

[Roger Pomerleau, Bloc, Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister made a shameful remark, taking dangerous liberties with reality.

By linking the departure of CP Rail from Montreal with the sovereignist movement, and even having the colossal nerve to state that the sovereignists are intolerant of cultural minorities in Quebec, the Prime Minister sidestepped the question and added fuel to the fire.

If the Prime Minister listened to CBC a little more often, he would have known that Mr. Ritchie, the President of CP Rail, has denied any connection between moving the headquarters and Quebec's move toward sovereignty. Mr. Ritchie simply pointed out that 80 per cent of CP activities were in the west. And this is the result of federal policies.

Rather than seeking to exacerbate the differences between the various groups making up Quebec society, the Prime Minister ought to be working to bring them closer together. This is another of the real problems the Prime Minister ought to be addressing.

Hemophilia

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, November has been declared hemophilia month. Approximately 2,400 Canadians are affected by hemophilia, an inherited condition characterized by a failure in blood-clotting mechanisms in the body.

The Canadian Hemophilia Society is dedicated to providing information and support services to persons with hemophilia and other related blood conditions.

The Canadian Hemophilia Society has recently received a grant for $125,000 from Health Canada to assist in the development of a stronger volunteer base. This is in addition to the over $450,000 that has been contributed through the national AIDS strategy for AIDS information and prevention activities.

Today let us join together to salute the outstanding work of the Canadian Hemophilia Society. We wish them a successful campaign during hemophilia month.

Canadian Polish Congress

[Jesse Flis, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Polish Congress is an umbrella organization that unites over 240 organizations representing Canadians of Polish origin.

The congress is active in many areas, from helping to successfully resettle newcomers to the promotion of excellent relations with ethnocultural groups across Canada.

Throughout its history, the congress has participated in the development of a strong and united Canada, often providing input and advice to federal and provincial governments through briefs and through personal input.

I am therefore pleased to announce that the Canadian Polish Congress Council has chosen Ottawa as the site of the 1995 annual meeting this week. I welcome the delegates from all provinces and regions, who are beginning the council meeting with a visit to the House of Commons.

Unemployment Insurance

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Globe and Mail , the government is preparing to reduce maximum insurable earnings for unemployment insurance.

This decrease will constitute the most important tax cut by this government, but essentially the ones to benefit will be high income earners who will therefore be paying less into the unemployment insurance fund, while people with unstable and seasonal work will get less money in benefits.

The minister himself has stated in the past that raising the ceiling would improve income distribution. He knows what he is doing.

We are anxious to see this long awaited unemployment insurance reform. This government, which claims it is addressing people's real problems, did not dare to table it before the referendum. Now we are really going to get clobbered.