House of Commons Hansard #166 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
Gordon Kirkby Liberal Prince Albert—Churchill River, SK
Mr. Speaker, today in Washington the leader of the third party denigrated the Canadian Wheat Board.
Many Canadian farmers know they produce high quality products and that the wheat board has greatly assisted Canada's
success in the grain trade. The farmers are deeply concerned about these remarks made by the leader of the third party.
Do the views expressed by the leader of the third party reflect in any way the views of the federal government?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Reform Party is as much of a diplomatic disappointment in Washington as he is a political disappointment in Canada.
I want to assure the hon. member that the leader of the Reform Party in no way speaks for the Government of Canada. The Canadian Wheat Board is and always has been a fair international trading agency, as multiple studies by the United States have demonstrated. Decisions about Canadian grain marketing systems and policies will be made in Canada by Canadians, not in any foreign capital.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
The Minister of Finance was in Winnipeg recently speaking to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. I understand he was asked a question about the status of CN pensions.
Would he say here in the House today what he is reported to have said at that meeting, that under any circumstances of privatization of CN that may happen in the future, pensions of CN pensioners will be guaranteed by the Government of Canada and CN pensioners have nothing to fear from privatization? Will he put that on the record here today?
Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, in dealing with the commercialisation of CN obviously we are going to take into account everything important to Canadians and the employees of CN. I want to reassure my hon. friend that as the process unfolds the interests of everyone involved will be protected to the extent that we can.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, why is the Minister of Finance not willing to state today on the record what he is reported to have said at that meeting in Winnipeg, that the pensions of CN pensioners would be guaranteed by the Government of Canada?
Get up and say it so people do not have to worry about their pensions. Say what you said in Winnipeg. Never mind him, I asked-
Canadian NationalOral Question Period
The Speaker
All questions should be put through the Chair.
Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I understand the hon. member's frustration because we have all read of his experience at a meeting he attended to discuss financial matters in the west not very long ago. He only lasted, I am told, some five or ten minutes when they asked him to leave. It is obvious why one would do that.
With respect to the commercialisation of Canadian National, we understand the concerns of the pensioners of CN, the concerns of the employees. We also understand how important it is to taxpayers and to people across the country to have a viable enterprise, operating a coast to coast railroad.
The difference between what the government will do and what the hon. member and his party usually do is that they talk about doing things, we get them done to protect those interests which he considers important.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, after months of procrastination, the Minister of Transport announced on Friday that Air Canada would be authorized to take advantage of the lucrative Hong Kong market. However, the minister's decision comes quite late, since there is less than a week left to negotiate arrangements for this year with Hong Kong officials.
Will the minister agree that the delay in designating Air Canada as the second carrier to Hong Kong is the only reason which could keep that airline from exploiting this lucrative market during the peak summer season?
Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, it took years of negotiations to provide Air Canada with an opportunity to fly to Asia. As you know, in January of last year, Air Canada was granted access to Kansai airport, in Japan.
This year, we managed to obtain landing rights in New York and in Chicago. We also made the decision to give Air Canada access to Hong Kong.
I realize that this is painful for opposition members, but I do accept the praises of Hollis Harris, who says that this decision is fair.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, regarding the same issue, I ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs whether he can confirm that negotiating four weekly flights for Air Canada is indeed a priority for the Canadian team which is currently negotiating with Hong Kong officials?
Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the entire question of providing Canadian travellers, business people and tourists with access to and from Hong Kong is one which this government has worked on since the time it came to office.
It is extremely important that Canadian Airlines International have access to Frankfurt, that we open the routes that have been awarded to the Philippines, to Malaysia, to Vietnam. We have signed a bilateral agreement with the United States.
It is a priority of this government to negotiate arrangements to give access to Air Canada at Hong Kong.
If the member were the least bit fair about this he would look over the last 14 months at what has occurred in the aviation industry in Canada and he would probably recognize that more progress has been made in 14 months than in the previous 15 years.
Jack Ramsay Reform Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice will be at a meeting in Manitoba tonight at the request of Dauphin-Swan River constituents concerned about Bill C-68.
I have been advised that there are hundreds of people who will be denied entrance to this meeting.
Why is the justice minister meeting behind closed doors with only 50 or so people who are attending on an invitation only basis when there are hundreds who want to attend this meeting? Why is the justice minister refusing to meet with these people? Why is he locking them out of this meeting?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, every member of the House knows no minister has been consulting with the Canadian people more than the Minister of Justice.
He is doing it so well that there are plenty of demands for meetings with him. Obviously he cannot meet with everybody. I know the Minister of Justice has never refused good consultations on problems presented to the House. He has put forth more propositions for meaningful changes in his field in the last 14 months than I have ever seen.
Jack Ramsay Reform Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time the justice minister has locked people out of his meetings. In Calgary last January there were more people standing outside the meeting in the cold than inside the building.
Will the Prime Minister instruct his justice minister to begin to listen to the people and meet their concerns about his gun control bill and stop locking them out of meetings?
Russell MacLellan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is completely wrong.
As the Prime Minister has said, no minister in recent years has met more regularly and more diligently than the Minister of Justice, particularly on the gun control issue.
He used his whole summer to go from coast to coast to speak with Canadians, to inform them of what he intended to do, to get their feedback and to get information in order to prepare this piece of legislation.
No one could ask for more.
Eleni Bakopanos Liberal Saint-Denis, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Human Resources Development.
Canadians and, more specifically, Quebecers, have been telling us they want more effective programs and an end to overlap and duplication with the provinces.
What steps has the minister taken through the Unemployment Insurance Program to eliminate wasteful spending of public funds?
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, we are working very hard on a number of projects with the provinces to reduce duplication and overlap. For instance, we signed four agreements with the provinces to protect UI information and achieve substantial savings in spending on social services in each province.
In fact, I believe Mrs. Blackburn, the Quebec Minister of Income Security, is prepared to review the UI system in order to cut costs for her department. I hope this will be one example of close co-operation between the federal government and the provincial governments on reducing the cost of social services.
Elsie Wayne Progressive Conservative Saint John, NB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for ACOA.
Will the minister advise the House how he can justify cutting a $30 million trust fund by $10 million? This trust fund was specifically transferred from the Department of National Defence and earmarked for the Atlantic communities affected by the base closures announced in the 1994 budget. What steps will the minister take to correct this situation?
Réginald Bélair LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I will take the question under advisement and relay it to the minister. She will get an answer in writing.
Base ClosuresOral Question Period
The Speaker
I have a point of order from the hon. member for Prince George-Bulkley Valley.
Dick Harris Reform Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. On March 1 in the House I mistakenly stated that the member for London-Middlesex had made unacceptable comments about the children of the member for Medicine Hat.
It was the member for Victoria-Haliburton who made these remarks and not the member for London-Middlesex. I wish to apologize to the member for London-Middlesex.
Pat O'Brien Liberal London—Middlesex, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my hon. colleague for his apology. I was surprised how I could have been in the House at that time insulting anyone since it was my privilege to be having lunch with some other colleagues-with the Prime Minister-that day.
I appreciate his clarifying the record.
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 83(1), I have the honour to lay upon the Table a Notice of Ways and Means motion concerning certain measures announced in the February 1995 budget. I ask that you designate an Order of the Day for the consideration of the said motion.
The House resumed consideration of the motion that this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government and the amendment.
Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON
Madam Speaker, certainly the impact of my words have lost some of their oomph, as the hon. colleague says, given the delay.
I did want to say to the member opposite who is no longer in the Chamber that paranoia will destroy you, and I am not paranoid.