House of Commons Hansard #157 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was reform.
Diane Ablonczy Reform Calgary North, AB
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister should re-examine the presentation.
The government talks a lot about compassion.
Where is the compassion in eroding the sustainability of our social programs because this government cannot get a grip on its spending? What will happen to our social programs if the interest drain continues?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec
Mr. Speaker, the member talks about compassion. Where lies the compassion in a program that says they are going to cut equalization payments to the poorest provinces in this country? Where is the compassion in a program that says they are going to decimate the health care system? Where lies the compassion in a program that the third party has put forward in terms of cuts to senior citizens that would mean that the clawback currently at $53,000 would begin for senior citizens at $11,000?
Suzanne Tremblay Bloc Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. In its foreign policy statement, the government clearly indicated its intention to make culture the cornerstone of this policy. Yet, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has cut Canada Council funding for the visiting foreign artists program, which will be replaced with an exchange program with the U.S. and Mexico exclusively.
Does the heritage minister recognize that redirecting this program towards the United States and Mexico will have a direct negative impact on francophone artists, whose main market is found in French-speaking countries around the world?
Michel Dupuy LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, any decision affecting the Canada Council will be made as part of its own budgetary process and by its own board of directors. I think that the direction taken by my colleague to spur cultural exports within North America is not at all designed to hinder our efforts with respect to Europe, and France in particular.
Suzanne Tremblay Bloc Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC
Mr. Speaker, are we to understand that the government's decision flows directly from its foreign policy, which is premised upon the existence of a single, hypothetical Canadian culture, thus denying the uniqueness of Quebec's culture, Quebec being the largest French-speaking community in North America?
André Ouellet LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will know that her question is based on inaccurate information and that no cuts were contemplated. It is true that inaccurate information was circulated, but contrary to what she may think, the program in question was not cut.
Stephen Harper Reform Calgary West, AB
Mr. Speaker, I noticed the Minister of Finance's attack on the Reform Party's suggestions for eliminating the deficit.
After the minister presents his budget, even if he is able to reach his weak interim targets, he will have added $100 billion to the debt or approximately $10 billion in annual interest payments and he will still have a deficit of $25 billion.
Is he going to tell Canadians where exactly he intends to find that $25 billion in additional cuts or is this party going to continue to try and hide the truth from Canadians?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec
Mr. Speaker, this party has made it very clear the way that was practised by the previous government, the
way the third party advocates, the setting up of wishful targets somewhere down the road, is not the way one achieves success.
The Prime Minister and I have already said within this House that this year not only are we going to hit our deficit target but we are going to do substantially better. It is the first time in a long time that a Canadian government has been able to say that.
It is going to be very clear to Canadians and those who analyse the budget that not only are we going to hit our targets but that we are going to hit our targets based on very prudent assumptions. We are going to set in place the track that is going to clean up this nation's finances. The member can put that in his pipe and smoke it.
Stephen Harper Reform Calgary West, AB
Mr. Speaker, I do not smoke.
The Minister of Finance has come up with a unique explanation of the failures of the previous government. He is the first one to explain that the Tories had standards that were just too high.
Today interest rates went up, the bank rate went up to 8.38 per cent, the highest level since this government took office. This is with increased warnings from not just Moody's but now Wood Gundy, Dominion Bond Rating Service and others that the targets are not adequate.
Will the minister not admit that the markets are already saying that with this government's targets Canadians will pay millions of dollars more a year on higher interest rates, higher borrowing and higher mortgage costs?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec
Mr. Speaker, it is with some difficulty that I find that the members opposite continue with doom and gloom and continue to try to attack a country which in terms of its economy is doing very well.
The member is simply not stating the facts. If he read Moody's statement he would have seen there was a general comment on the level of public debt in this country both at the federal level and at the provincial level. There was a very clear trend set out going back a number of years in terms of what previous governments had done and the failure of Canadian governments to come to grips with their problems. There was no comment on this government, our targets or the forthcoming budget.
I would ask the hon. member, if he is going to ask questions, for heaven's sake please base them on some fact.
Bernard St-Laurent Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General.
Members of the Kingston correctional services riot squad responded to an emergency at the Kingston Prison for Women in 1994. In her report on this incident, the prison warden lied, saying that only female guards responded, when a video proves otherwise.
How can the Solicitor General justify the fact that such degrading incidents occurred at the Kingston Prison for Women and that the prison warden subsequently lied to hide the truth?
Herb Gray LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, on January 20 there was a report released by an internal commission of inquiry set up by the commissioner of corrections under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.
However, just last week I received another report from the correctional investigator into the same situation which provided quite a different set of conclusions in respect of facts and interpretation.
As a result of the conflicts between these two reports, the commissioner of corrections recommended, and I agreed, that there should be an independent impartial investigation to establish the base of facts. When that is done I will see what further action needs to be taken and I will take such action.
Bernard St-Laurent Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Mr. Speaker, as part of what needs to be done in order to clearly convey the message that he does not condone this kind of behaviour on the part of correctional authorities, will the Solicitor General seek the immediate suspension of the warden of the prison for women in Kingston, Ontario?
Herb Gray LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, matters of discipline of staff are the responsibility of the commissioner of corrections.
I think the first thing to do is carry out the inquiry that I announced today, to have a basis of fact on which to take further action inasmuch as there have been two reports both set up under the CCRA and which have reached opposite conclusions on the same situation.
This is the sensible approach and this is the one I am taking as quickly as possible.
Shaughnessy Cohen Liberal Windsor—St. Clair, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question which is in pursuit of compassion is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.
After today's rather scary announcement the women of Canada are breathing a collective sigh of relief that the Reform Party is not the government. Women want social security reforms to be sensitive to their plight and to that of their children. I know the minister has met with many women's groups and I know he is very concerned about child poverty.
What measures has the minister taken to address the needs of Canadian women and their children?
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, one of the most important developments has been as a result of the changes and amendments we made to the Unemployment Insurance Act last year. Close to 200,000 low income Canadians with children and who are on UI assistance now receive close to an additional $1,000 a year as a result of the reforms to the UI system. We differentiated between the basic benefit and the benefit based upon dependency.
It shows that when we can make serious reforms and look at it properly and constructively, we can really help poor people, not blow torch them, as the Reform Party wants to do.
Garry Breitkreuz Reform Yorkton—Melville, SK
Mr. Speaker, the taxpayers' budget released today by the Reform Party established a long term process for decentralization whereby the federal government would transfer tax points to the provinces so that the provinces could better deliver core services in the areas of health care, advanced education and welfare.
How can the finance minister consider the transfer of block funding to the provinces without clear guidelines on the best way to spend the money from the minister responsible for social programs?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec
Mr. Speaker, I am not going to get into details of the budget which is going to be presented on Monday.
The question I have after looking at the thing this morning is how can the third party say that it is going to reduce the deficit when at the same time it is transferring tax points which are necessary to bring the revenue in so that it can reduce the deficit? There is major evidence of double counting that I would really like to understand. Perhaps the member might explain it in his supplementary.
Garry Breitkreuz Reform Yorkton—Melville, SK
The minister talks about compassion. If you have cancer the best thing you can do is cut out the tumour-
Provincial TransfersOral Question Period
The Speaker
I would ask the hon. member to please address the Chair.
Garry Breitkreuz Reform Yorkton—Melville, SK
Mr. Speaker, through you to the finance minister, I was trying to give the example that the most compassionate thing you can do if someone has cancer is cut out the tumour and not simply say: "Continue your lifestyle. Go home. All is fine".
My question is for the Prime Minister. Since the human resources development minister failed to come up with a proposal for reform of social programs, how will reforms be developed and who will do it?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Human Resources Development has laid out a very clear plan and a very clear concept for the reform of social programs.
The fact is that we are on schedule. The House of Commons committee on social reform has reported. There has been enormous debate within this country which is an essential part of building the consensus. We are on schedule in terms of the budget. Social security reform is going to be a very important part of the budget.
The continuous reforms the minister is engaging in will enable us to build a stronger and much better Canada.
Michel Bellehumeur Bloc Berthier—Montcalm, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Solicitor General of Canada stated yesterday that last year's thorough investigation into the activities of CSIS informer Grant Bristow concluded that Bristow did not act improperly. My question is directed to the Solicitor General.
How can the Solicitor General say there was a thorough investigation into the Bristow affair when the director of the Security Intelligence Review Committee has stated that committee members did not view the videotape incriminating Brant Bristow, even if though it was available? What kind of investigation was that?
Herb Gray LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I am satisfied that the SIRC will want to review the tape and determine if further investigation is required in the light of
such activities. I think that is what we would expect from a standing commission of inquiry like the SIRC.