House of Commons Hansard #152 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was billion.

Topics

Canadian Airborne RegimentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

David Collenette Liberal Don Valley East, ON

Mr. Speaker, I was detained for a few moments. Perhaps the hon. member could repeat his question.

Canadian Airborne RegimentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Jack Frazer Reform Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, how many of the men who appeared in the August 1992 video and how many who appeared in the February 1993 video are still serving with the airborne regiment?

Canadian Airborne RegimentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, the actions in those videos are subject to investigation. Once we have the answers I will make them available to the hon. member.

Canadian Airborne RegimentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Jack Frazer Reform Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, the minister knows he could transfer everyone connected with those incidents and those in Somalia, but retain the regiment.

Has he considered that by disbanding the airborne he is unnecessarily inflicting upon the Canadian taxpayer millions of dollars in costs for relocating the personnel and their families, for dismantling the facility at Petawawa and for establishing a new facility for the new unit?

Canadian Airborne RegimentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I dealt with all these questions three weeks ago. I am sorry the hon. member is now just addressing them.

With respect to operational costs, there probably will be some operational costs involved. On the other hand, most of the activity at CFB Petawawa will be retained simply because in the white paper we announced an augmentation of the army capability. Therefore those people in that particular area should not feel too badly from an economic point of view.

International TradeOral Question Period

February 14th, 1995 / 2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade.

Another trade dispute is looming between Canada and the U.S., this time over eggs, poultry and dairy products, which are all subject to quotas. Such a dispute might hit agricultural producers in Quebec and Canada very hard.

Will the Minister for International Trade firmly reiterate Canada's position by arguing that its tariff schedule is totally consistent with the new GATT, now WTO, agreements and does he undertake not to make any concessions to the Americans on this issue?

International TradeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Etobicoke North Ontario

Liberal

Roy MacLaren LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, yes.

International TradeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, can the minister make a very clear, perhaps fuller, concrete commitment not to accept any reduction in the customs tariffs put in place by Canada, including those for yogurt and ice cream, or any other concession that would hurt the interests of poultry and dairy producers in Quebec and Canada?

International TradeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Etobicoke North Ontario

Liberal

Roy MacLaren LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, the specific question of ice cream and yogurt has been a matter of a GATT panel decision. We will take action in light of that decision.

Concerning the broader question of dairy and poultry, we will indeed pursue our basic position that-I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, I do not want you to think I do not enjoy looking at you.

International TradeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

The Speaker

I want the hon. minister to know that the feeling is reciprocal.

International TradeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

International TradeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Roy MacLaren Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, Canada will of course defend vigorously its fundamental position that the tariffication under the GATT takes precedence over NAFTA.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Grant Hill Reform Macleod, AB

Mr. Speaker, Quebec joins Alberta in thinking that the federal Minister of Health is wrong in her rigid rules on semiprivate clinics.

Health minister Rochon says: "Health is a provincial jurisdiction. It is not Marleau's place to determine".

Why does this health minister stick with a rigid centralist view of health care when the rest of the country wants flexibility and real reform?

Health CareOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I would advise the member to read the Canada Health Act. That is why we are doing it.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Grant Hill Reform Macleod, AB

Mr. Speaker, the premier of Newfoundland also agrees with Quebec. He says: "The federal government should stop interfering in provincial areas such as health. Provinces want flexibility. The citizens want flexibility". Has this health minister one single proposal to make Canada's health system more flexible?

Health CareOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member to go back and get a copy of the Canada Health Act and read it.

InfrastructureOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Brenda Chamberlain Liberal Guelph—Wellington, ON

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board and the minister responsible for the national infrastructure program.

The national infrastructure program has been a catalyst for growth in Guelph-Wellington and in every community in Canada. Can the minister provide an update as to the status of the program and the number of jobs it has created in Ontario and in this country?

InfrastructureOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, I have more good news for the House.

We are not even half way through the funding allocation of this program. Already some 4,700 projects have been approved in Ontario, creating some 31,000 jobs. This is going a long way to putting Canadians back to work and strengthening the infrastructure in our communities and well on the way to the creation of 100,000 jobs.

I think it says to the premier of Ontario that he is out to lunch when he says that we are not focused on jobs. That is our number one priority.

Tainted BloodOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health.

Tomorrow, Judge Krever will submit to the cabinet his interim report on the activities surrounding the blood supply system in Canada.

In order to ensure at least a minimum of openness, can the minister undertake to release the Krever Commission's interim report as soon as it is submitted to cabinet?

Tainted BloodOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, Judge Krever's report is not presented to me personally but to cabinet. We will, of course, respond as quickly as possible.

Tainted BloodOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, how can the minister claim to be restoring Canadians' confidence in their blood supply system when she is not even willing to make this report public as soon as it is presented to cabinet?

Tainted BloodOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, let me reassure the hon. member and every Canadian that we have not waited to take action. We have taken a number of very decisive steps to ensure the safety of the blood supply in Canada.

When the report is received we will respond quickly. We will respond with all appropriate action to ensure that not only is the blood supply system in this country as good as everyone else's but that it is the best in the world.

Sydney Tar PondsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Bill Gilmour Reform Comox—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, the clean up of the Sydney tar ponds in Nova Scotia is under a dark cloud.

The tar ponds, described as Canada's worst environmental disaster, were exempted by the previous government from an environmental assessment.

Because of this deadly blunder the list of compounds and their concentrations in the tar ponds is not fully known. In addition, the toxic coke oven site is not included in the clean ups and the ability of the incinerator to destroy PCBs is in question.

Given these severe limitations, will the environment minister order a full environmental assessment of the Sydney tar ponds project, including the coke oven site and the incineration process?

Sydney Tar PondsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Hamilton East Ontario

Liberal

Sheila Copps LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, I can repeat to the hon. member that the federal Ministry of the Environment will be working very closely with the province of Nova Scotia to ensure that the CCME guidelines that were adopted in 1992 on hazardous waste incineration, that is stronger, more stringent guidelines, will be applied. We will be working with the province to monitor its application to ensure the health and the safety of all of the residents around the Sydney tar ponds.

Sydney Tar PondsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Reform

Bill Gilmour Reform Comox—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, this is only part of the problem. A full environmental assessment needs to look at all the problems, including the coke ovens.

Yesterday the minister replied that the tar ponds project was operating within CCME guidelines. The minister's answer is inconsistent with the 1994 consultant's report which lists federal guidelines and compares them with the tar ponds operating permit, showing many discrepancies.

Will the minister explain the glaring inconsistencies between the tar ponds consultant's report and her answer yesterday?