Debates of Feb. 20th, 1995

Fisheries

[Brian Tobin, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, the groundfish assistance program available for the fishermen of Atlantic Canada is under some financial stress because more fishermen and more plant workers than originally anticipated have had to request assistance.

One of the reasons that there are more fishermen and more plant workers is that from an ecological point of view, more fisheries have had to be closed as recently as a few months ago.

The red fishery, which is important to the Magdalen Islands had to be closed, necessitating more assistance being paid out to additional plant workers and fishermen.

We are looking for ways of streamlining the program. For example we could reduce training programs for older workers who really will not make use of them in order to get the program back within budget. It is a program that is supported by the

fishermen and by the plant workers of Atlantic Canada, including those in Quebec.

Frankly the Bloc Quebecois should be celebrating this virtue of federation, that those who have share with those who do not in times of need. That is the strength of the unity of Canada.

Crtc

[Jan Brown, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

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

The CRTC has kicked the American Country Music Television network off Canadian airwaves. Canadian country artists used to be seen in over 32 million homes around the world but in retaliation for this decision, CMT now refuses to play Canadian artists' videos, reducing air play to two million homes.

Promoting Canadian culture by closing our borders is like stoking a fire with a wet blanket. Canadian artists themselves denounce this decision.

Instead of smothering Canadian culture, how does the minister expect to promote Canadian cultural exports and allow for more consumer choice?

[Roy MacLaren, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the government's policy is to promote in every way it can the growth and expansion of Canadian culture.

One part of that policy is to ensure that while meeting our international trade obligations, we are able to give Canadians a choice of programs on television and radio, a spectrum of choice that includes not only imported material but Canadian produced goods as well.

[Jan Brown, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, despite those fine words the government is moving toward a policy of protectionism in the cultural industry.

Cultural industries will be at the top of the American president's agenda when he visits this week. By closing our borders, the government has started a potential trade war with the United States. What form this retaliation will take will be announced by Mickey Kantor on March 6.

When the government meets with Mr. Clinton, will it announce what areas of Canadian trade it is willing to sacrifice to keep up this charade of cultural preservation?

[Roy MacLaren, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, we are unwilling to sacrifice any area of Canadian trade. The member raises a question that will indeed be touched upon in my meetings with Mr. Kantor. On that occasion we shall continue to assure him, as we have done in the past, that the Canadian measures to promote Canadian culture are entirely consistent with our international trade obligations.

Income Tax

[Alex Shepherd, Liberal, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue.

Canadians want government to take the tough decisions to meet our deficit targets. Many wonder if the deficit could also be reduced simply by collecting the taxes that are now outstanding.

What is the minister doing to ensure the government is collecting the taxes it is owed?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question which allows me to state that we collect the vast majority of accounts receivable with interest.

Of course there will always be some area of bad debts. Last year it was less than one-half of 1 per cent of gross revenue. This year, we are budgeting slightly more than that, but still well below 1 per cent.

It is very important to note that we collect the accounts receivable. They are taken into account by the Minister of Finance in his budgetary projections. There is no pot of money out there not being collected which could be used to reduce the deficit. All the moneys in accounts receivable have been taken into account.

The Economy

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for International Financial Institutions.

Regarding the rather lopsided debate in identifying the actual cause of the accumulated debt, would the minister confirm that today we are spending about the same proportion of our GDP on social programs that we were spending throughout the mid-1970s?

[Doug Peters, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. member has checked the numbers or he would not have asked the question.

I do not have the numbers with me now so I am not able to confirm them. I am sure the hon. member will, in his supplementary question, give me the right answer.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I will endeavour to do that. This is now turning into answer period. The minister would know if he had done his homework that the spending-

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

I am sure the hon. member has a question.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I had a question. I will put it this way.

While the minister knows that spending on social programs is about the same proportion today as it was in the seventies, would he confirm that the reason our accumulated debt has grown since 1984 has been almost exclusively the result of the high interest rate policy of the previous government, continued by this government apparently, and the myriad of tax loopholes particularly for corporations and the wealthy?

[Doug Peters, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will recall that I spoke out in the early 1990s about the high levels of interest rates and about the policies of the previous government. This government has changed those policies and we are moving not only to cure our deficit but to improve our social programs as well.

Gun Control

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in his questions and answers booklet on the Canadian firearms registration system, the Minister of Justice tells Canadians that his new registration system will help eliminate smuggling and stolen firearms as sources of supply.

Just last Thursday the minister stated publicly that the new gun control legislation will do little to prevent smuggling. Could the minister please explain which statement is true?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the proposals we put before the house will help a great deal in reducing the smuggling of firearms. We have been through this before. Hansard is replete with detailed responses to questions that are asked daily in the House by the same members.

Let me come to the specific question the member puts. I believe, and the government believes, that its proposals will help enormously. Last week it was put to me by a provincial counterpart, the Solicitor General of Ontario, that there is much more we can do. I agreed with him. Indeed there is much more we can do and should do. With the collaboration of the provincial solicitors general, I believe we can and will do more.

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this minister has had 16 months to deal with gun smuggling. He has done nothing but table a plan to register the guns of law-abiding Canadians. Registration has not proven effective for crime deterrence in any other democracy in the world.

Why does the minister not take the $85 million he has committed to gun registration and instead target it toward directly defending our borders against gun smuggling?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, in large part, the registration system we propose is targeted at the borders to reduce smuggling, and we are very confident that it will have that result.

Agricultural Subsidies

[Jean-Guy Chrétien, Bloc, Frontenac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Just days away from budget day, the federal minister of agriculture talks about reviewing all agricultural subsidies, and those for grain transportation in particular. He plans to replace existing rail carrier subsidies with direct assistance to Western grain producers.

Will the agriculture minister confirm his government's intention to stop paying rail carriers subsidies and start subsidizing Western grain producers directly instead? And if so, can he undertake before this House to-

[The Speaker]

Perhaps the hon. member could ask one question and maybe another short one, but three is a bit much.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the subject of western grain transportation reform has been debated for probably the better part of the last 25 years.

We intend to proceed with various aspects of that reform. Indeed some measures are already before the House in the form of proposed legislation.

Over the course of the last number of months both the Minister of Transport and I have been engaged in intensive discussions with farmers, farm organizations and other stakeholders in the industry involving all aspects of Canadian grain handling and transportation from one end of the country to the other. At the time of the budget or shortly thereafter there should be an opportunity to describe the details.

[Jean-Guy Chrétien, Bloc, Frontenac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, can the agriculture minister give us at this time the assurance that all farm producers in Canada will be treated equally and that the measures he will be putting forth will not allow Western producers to use federal subsidies to compete with Eastern producers?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, equity, fairness and balance are established as hallmarks of this government and will continue to be.

Order In Council Appointments

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table today, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments made recently by the government.

Pursuant to Standing Order 110((1), these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.

Criminal Code

[Paul Forseth, Reform, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-304, an act to amend the Criminal Code (prostitution).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Crowfoot for seconding my introduction of first reading of the bill. It is my pleasure to introduce the bill to this House.

The bill will increase the penalty for persons who engage in the public act to buy or sell sexual services from a summary conviction to an indictable offence. It would make the penalty of section 213 of the Criminal Code, which is public communication to obtain sexual services, parallel to that of section 212 just before it in the Criminal Code, which is procuring.

A summary conviction has a maximum sentence of only six months. While this may be appropriate for some crimes in Canada, it is most certainly not appropriate for the acts of the public prostitution trade. With the increase to an indictable offence it will allow the courts to give a sentence for the maximum penalty of up to ten years and provide the range of flexibility that is needed. By such designation it changes the category of seriousness and affects the allocation of police resources. It places more flexible tools into the hands of the police, who instead of writing a curb-side ticket may now arrest, if necessary.

Canadians are frustrated with the street trade of prostitution. They are upset that along with this comes widespread criminal drug use. I note that many Canadians want stiffer penalties for this behaviour and that is exactly what my bill attends to do.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)