Debates of March 13th, 1995

Taxation

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, there is no question new technology provides enormous potential for growth, productivity and development. It is also equally important that as any new technology is introduced, whether it is the automobile, the steel plough or today's new technology, people are affected by it.

The question that was being examined at the Copenhagen conference was whether there can be fair distribution of the benefits, the growth and the wealth being created to ensure all people have equal opportunity for jobs, equal opportunity for a good life and equal opportunity for their children's security.

It is simply a matter of how we ensure proper distribution of benefits, something totally beyond the understanding of Reform Party members.

International Development

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in its foreign policy statement, the government pledged to get closer to the objective of allocating 0.7 per cent of the GNP to foreign aid. Yet, the recent budget provides for cuts of $1.3 billion over a three-year period. The net result is that Canada will spend less than 0.29 per cent of its GNP on humanitarian assistance, thus reducing its aid to levels unseen since the sixties.

How can the Minister of Foreign Affairs justify his government's decision to reduce food aid to the poorest nations of the world, to a degree well beyond the average level of reduction announced in the last budget, while at the same time forgiving debts of $800 millions incurred by less needy countries?

[André Ouellet, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right as regards the need to temporarily reduce the budget allocated to international development assistance.

However, the hon. member is absolutely wrong when he concludes that food aid will be cut. Indeed, he is referring to a document which only gives a partial idea of the moneys which will be allocated to food aid, whether through the efforts of the government within multilateral organizations, or through bilateral assistance programs. I can assure the hon. member that our food aid efforts will remain very significant.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I read the budget tabled by the minister's colleague, the Minister of Finance. Are we to understand that the scope of the budget cuts affecting Canada's aid to the poorest nations of the world is the direct result of the government's new foreign policy, which gives priority to trade, at the expense of these countries?

[André Ouellet, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is no. It is obvious that even the hon. member does not think it is the case, since he is choking while asking the question.

Labour

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

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

The current labour situation in the railways could easily lead to a national strike or railway lockout. This would have immediate and devastating effects on the Canadian economy.

When will the minister take action and introduce back to work legislation?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, yes, the railway sector is experiencing some difficulties with labour relations. But I was delighted to learn that Canadian Pacific has reached an agreement in principle with three of its unions, which represent nearly 3,000 employees, on a wage increase, a change respecting job security and social benefits. This agreement is to be submitted to the members for ratification.

I hope that for management and labour, this will be a first step towards reaching an agreement. At this stage it is definitely premature to talk about back-to-work legislation.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers took a tremendous hit in the budget and they are willing to do that if they know the government will back them up when it comes to getting their product to market.

What they would like to know is whether this government is willing to introduce back to work legislation as soon as possible to help them a little after the government has knocked the pins out from underneath them.

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, we abide by the Canada Labour Code, and we are urging the parties to negotiate and reach an agreement, which does not mean we are not monitoring the situation very closely. We hope that the parties will negotiate and reach an agreement. That is the position of this government.

Blood Supply System

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Health.

Since she was appointed, the minister has answered all our questions about the blood system in Canada by saying we have the best system in the world. However, the facts keep challenging the minister's position on the actual quality of the system.

How can the minister claim we have the best blood supply system in the world when, in an unprecedented move, the Red Cross suspended the director of the Quebec City centre after it failed a Health Canada inspection?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, Justice Krever has conducted a thorough study of our blood system. In his interim report, he said it was as safe as any system in the world.

Of course we intend to make it the safest system in the world. We did not wait for Justice Krever's report to take our responsibilities very seriously. For instance, we inspect blood centres annually, and as you can see, this suspension came as a result of one of our inspections, and the Red Cross took certain steps in this instance.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, how can the minister claim she is doing a good job, when 15 months after she was appointed, we are still finding irregularities in Canada's blood system of such proportions that they justified suspending the director of the Quebec City centre?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it is not Health Canada that asked for the suspension of the director of the Canadian Red Cross in Quebec City. That was a decision of the Canadian Red Cross in Quebec City.

Health Canada has been doing its job in inspecting all facilities once a year. Every time it inspects a facility, it reports on any irregularities it may find and insists the Red Cross take action to correct them.

Access To Information Act

[Warren Allmand, Liberal, Notre-Dame-De-Grâce, QC]

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

Recently on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Access to Information Act, the information commissioner identified serious problems with the act, recommended a full review and made recommendations for amendment. In 1987 the justice committee recommended 87 amendments to the act which were never acted upon by the previous government.

I want to ask the minister if he agrees with the commissioner's recommendation and will he order a full review and update of the act?

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

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge the hon. member's longstanding interest in the field of information and privacy law. I assure him I am very much aware that the modernization of that law is long overdue.

The Department of Justice is already at work identifying areas where reform can be made. We are reviewing the recommendations from the "Open and Shut" report of 1987, as well as recommendations from the commissioner's most recent annual report in which he made some very good suggestions.

We are examining ways modern information technology can render more effective and less expensive the release of government information. We are also looking at ways to involve the public in consultations.

The agenda before justice is busy. I assure the hon. member and the House we will be coming forward with reforms.

Immigration

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Bonjan Inthavon, a Laotian gang member with a violent criminal history, has been released into the Fraser Valley area in B.C. This thug had been ordered deported. Since the minister's department unbelievably granted him convention refugee status, it is now left to the minister to follow his own legislation to protect Canadian citizens.

Will the minister show some leadership and act immediately under section 19 of the existing legislation to have this criminal removed from the country, as his own officials have already recommended?

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, my department did not grant refugee status to that individual or to anybody else. That is adjudicated by the IRB.

The recommendation by our officials to remove this individual according to this section of the act has not yet arrived on my desk. The moment it does I will have no problems acting on it whatsoever.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian people are looking for assurances in this matter. On March 1 the IRB appeal division turned down Inthavong's appeal of his deportation order and declared his removal order valid in law, citing the importance of safety and good order of Canadian society. The individual can appeal even further.

Why does the minister not follow the law that gives him the obligation to remove people who, there are reasonable grounds to believe, will engage in acts of violence or are likely to participate in organized criminal activities?

Give the Canadian people the assurance that you will act when it falls on your desk-

[The Speaker]

Hon. members will always remember to address the Chair.

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the member was too busy trying to figure out how to ask a question because I gave him the answer he was looking for in the first round.

I said very clearly that the file has yet to come from Vancouver to my desk. Over the weekend I asked for that file. I have

considered the details and I have no problem with respect to moving on this according to that course of action.

Furthermore, I find it highly ironic that this member continues to get up on individual cases and says get tougher with some of the individuals who abuse the system and yet did not have the courage or the guts to support Bill-

[The Speaker]

I am sure no hon. member would want to have their courage questioned, especially in this House. Our courage is well known.

Peacekeepers

[Jean-Marc Jacob, Bloc, Charlesbourg, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Following the Copenhagen summit for social development, the Croatian President agreed to the European and U.S. proposal to allow peacekeepers to stay beyond March 31, although their number will be reduced from some 15,000 to 5,000. Meanwhile, the situation in the former Yugoslavia continues to deteriorate seriously.

Given the Croatian President's agreement, does Canada intend to keep Canadian peacekeepers in the reduced contingent in Croatia after March 31?

[André Ouellet, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question, which allows me to express the Canadian government's satisfaction with President Tudjman's decision.

Certainly, we have always felt that, in order to keep the peace in that part of the former Yugoslavia, it was important to maintain a UN contingent to act as an intermediary between the Croats and the Serbs.

A decision as to whether or not we will continue participating in this peacekeeping operation will be made in the next few weeks. As we have done historically, we intend to consult with the opposition parties before referring the issue to cabinet.

[Jean-Marc Jacob, Bloc, Charlesbourg, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to Bosnia, can the Minister of Foreign Affairs let us know the government's position on Bosnia, where the ceasefire is increasingly being ignored by the belligerents, some of whom have deliberately fired at the UN special envoy's plane?

[André Ouellet, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned by the evolution of the situation in Bosnia. Canada supports the Contact Group peace plan. We hope that the parties will accept this peace plan because we believe it is the only one that could lead to a peaceful solution in the former Yugoslavia.

Obviously some parties still believe that through attack and war they could enhance their position on the ground. We think this is folly. We believe that the only solution is a peaceful one, by accepting the Contact Group proposal.