Debates of Nov. 24th, 1995

Peacekeeping

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Jack Frazer, Reform, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

I am concerned that Canadian troops have already been stretched past the limit by their commitments in the former Yugoslavia. Some soldiers are in their fourth and even fifth tours of duty and this is cause for great concern.

I recently read a report from a chaplain who wrote: "We do not know the emotional ramifications of psychological layers being built up by these repeatedly rapid deployments".

Will the Prime Minister consider other options, such as offering NATO an air squadron rather than a land unit, in order to lessen the burden on our under equipped and over taxed land forces?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have been discussing with our NATO allies the requirements for this kind of a force. Next week at the Defence Planning Board meetings in Brussels these commitments will be examined in greater detail.

I will take the hon. member's comment as a representation that Canada should offer air support. That will be very interesting. Other members may have a different view but we want to hear the views of all members before we decide.

The hon. member also talked about the overstretching of Canadian forces. He knows that was a legitimate argument to make 18 months ago. As a result of the deliberations of the committee of which he was a member, the white paper signalled an intent to put more people into the sharp end of the army. We are now recruiting so that we have more people available for such duty.

I also underscore the fact that with the pullback from Croatia, Canada now has significantly fewer people in the field than we had six months ago. The criticisms the hon. member has been making this morning are not fully justified by the operational facts today.

Bronfman Foundation

[René Laurin, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

The recently published public accounts reveal that the Minister of Canadian Heritage awarded a grant of $5 million to the Bronfman Foundation to fund historical vignettes on Canada's heritage for television broadcast. His own officials recommended a grant of only $1 million.

How does the minister explain his decision to give the Bronfman Foundation five times the amount his officials recommended, when he is cutting subsidies to francophone associations outside Quebec and everywhere in the area of cultural development?

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, it is not clear in my colleague's question whether he feels these minutes of heritage were badly done and did not warrant funding. In my opinion, they provide an excellent look into Canadian history, which may be of no interest to him, but which interests me.

[André Caron, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is not answering my question. We are not talking about product quality, but, rather, the fact that it cost $5 million when it was supposed to cost $1 million.

As my supplemental, I would like to know whether the minister's sudden generosity was intended as an unobtrusive injection of several million dollars worth of propaganda on the eve of the recent referendum campaign?

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, if our colleague believes Canada's history is propaganda, he should not be sitting in this House. Our history is our history, our roots are our roots, and we may be justifiably proud of them.

Communications Security Establishment

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were justifiably shocked to learn that the Communications Security Establishment is eavesdropping on Canadian citizens.

In response, the defence minister said that he would not comment on issues of national security. The Deputy Prime Minister clearly stated that CSE did not have a mandate to spy on Canadians. Not surprisingly, the Prime Minister said that he did not know what CSE was doing.

Does the Minister of National Defence know what CSE is doing and who gave CSE authority to invade and violate the privacy of Canadians by intercepting private communications?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows from my previous answers in this place, I certainly know what is going on in the department and especially at CSE.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, two former employees of the spy agency have publicly stated that CSE has spied on Canadians.

The law is clear. Any interception of communication of Canadian citizens is an offence under part VI of the Criminal Code. How dare the government spy on its own citizens?

Has the minister's department reviewed the allegations of former CSE employees Frost and Shorten? Is he prepared to have charges laid against those CSE agents who have broken the law?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I fully reject the premise of the hon. member's question, but with respect to recent comments that have been made by a third party, the government is certainly looking into them.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

In announcing budget cuts, the President of the CBC explained that between 600 and 1,000 positions would be eliminated before March 1996. According to him, the exact number of jobs to be cut will depend on whether or not the federal government decides to contribute to the funding of Radio Canada International.

Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage confirm that his government has decided to stop funding Radio Canada International?

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, as our colleague must know, the international component of the CBC's mission is outlined in its current mandate.

We will review the CBC's entire mandate, including this component, in light of the mandate committee's recommendations. The whole mandate will be reviewed, and the status of Radio Canada International will be determined at that time.

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since Radio Canada International is Canada's international showcase-

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Hamilton East, ON]

Are you interested?

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Since Radio Canada International is Canada's international showcase and helps promote Canadian culture abroad, does the minister not feel that it would be irresponsible to stop funding this service, and can he give us advance notice of his intentions in this regard?

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to correct the preamble to our colleague's question. Radio Canada International is a vehicle that promotes Canada around the world. I just got back from TV5, through which francophone Canada has gained international renown. Radio Canada International is not the only broadcaster to further our country's interests.

In response to her question, I would add that we should not put the cart before the horse. We have to make a decision on the CBC's mandate and its international component will be part of this decision.

Child Care

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister.

Thousands of people are demonstrating today across Ontario because of the intention of the provincial government to cut child care services and subsidies.

In our red book there is a promise calling for the creation of 50,000 new child care spaces each year following a year of 3 per cent economic growth.

Does the government intend to address this acute social need and alleviate a crucial problem faced by so many Canadians?

[Maurizio Bevilacqua, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for raising a very important question on an issue that is very close to the Liberal government.

We are strongly committed to child care. We have already made progress in a number of areas such as the $72 million program to establish or improve a total number of 6,000 spaces within First Nations and Inuit communities over the next three years. We have also invested $6 million annually for a child care vision.

The Minister of Human Resources Development last week met with his provincial counterparts to discuss ways of finding new financing arrangements so that the red book commitment could be honoured.

There is no question the focus would be on enhancing and expanding child care services. Our position is crystal clear.

Justice

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, blatant Liberal pork barrel patronage by the revenue minister rewarding Liberal law firms on Vancouver Island is going on and on and on, in spite of six months of feeble assurances to the House by the justice

minister. Yet again on Wednesday of this week, when a drug trafficking case was called in Victoria no federal crown prosecuting lawyer even turned up for the case.

How many more drug cases will be fumbled, lost or dropped before the justice minister exhibits some competence in getting the revenue minister's cronies in line?

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows perfectly well that the Minister of Justice has made outstanding appointments in every appointment he has made.

If the hon. member would simply praise the minister occasionally instead of constantly harping and carping, he might find that he gets better service in his constituency.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what a joke. Speak of praising, I have had personal conversations with the justice minister about this issue over a six-month period. I have a fat file on it. One patronage appointed lawyer is unprepared and the charges are dropped. Another patronage appointed lawyer does not show and the charges are dropped. Another patronage appointed lawyer mishandles the charges and the charges are dropped.

How far does this have to go? The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice last time said-

[The Speaker]

I ask the hon. member to put his question.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

If the firms are not incompetent, if the justice department is not incompetent, if the justice minister is not incompetent, why do we end up with all these cases screwed up on Vancouver Island?

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has had all his appointments screened by officials before they were made and he is confident that these are very competent lawyers. The confidence is reflected in the fact that 22 of the 42 firms appointed in B.C. are reappointments. Half the agents were appointed by the previous government.

There have been isolated difficulties on Vancouver Island. The minister admits that fact. Preliminary reports suggest that the failure of certain former agents to co-operate with the new appointments may have contributed to the problem. The hon. member should be encouraging the former agents to co-operate with the new ones instead of carping and yelling in the House every day about the odd failure that occurs. These people are competent and they will do their jobs.