House of Commons Hansard #168 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was equality.
Jake Hoeppner Reform Lisgar—Marquette, MB
Will the Prime Minister immediately ask for a mandatory mediation-arbitration process with binding final offer arbitration as a last resort?
Lucienne Robillard LiberalMinister of Labour
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we had the opportunity to explain very clearly the difference between these labour disputes. We also took a first step, with the support of the opposition parties, towards the settlement of the conflict affecting west coast ports.
As for railways, negotiations are taking place today with Canadian Pacific. The situation at the Montreal harbour is completely different and I proposed a mediator to the two sides.
As I said yesterday, each situation must be reviewed on its own merits to ensure that an appropriate solution is found. As a government, our goal is to have the two sides agree to negotiate.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage just indicated to the House that no cuts had been announced at Radio-Canada.
Will the minister confirm his earlier answer to the effect that no cuts will be made to Radio-Canada next year?
Canadian Broadcasting CorporationOral Question Period
Laval West Québec
Liberal
Michel Dupuy LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's logic is astounding. To say that I have no confirmation of any cuts is not at all the same as saying that there will be no cuts.
Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have a second very logical question. How does the Minister of Canadian Heritage explain the fact that Radio-Canada announced yesterday that 750 jobs would be eliminated? I suppose that was mere speculation.
Michel Dupuy LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member may be discreet, but he did not listen to my last answer. I already answered that question a few minutes ago. I explained that discussions had taken place at Radio-Canada, but that there was no-
Should I quote another proverb to keep the hon. members quiet?
Canadian Broadcasting CorporationOral Question Period
Some hon. members
Yes, let us hear about the grandfather.
Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
I see the budget and all the changes that flow from it as a necessary but risky exercise. We inherited a government weakened by debt and we have to further downsize it in order to get rid of that debt.
Could the minister assure us that the downsized government and its programs will contain the seeds, the foundations for strong federal government in the future?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec
Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. In fact, I would like to congratulate the member for the way in which he has articulated his question. The budget sought to deal with those weaknesses in what is otherwise a very strong economy.
As a result, we increased substantially the fairness of the tax system. We are restructuring government to make it smaller and smarter. We are putting the deficit on a permanent downward track. We have reaffirmed our inflation targets. We have given the government credibility. For the first time a Canadian government has hit its targets and we have put the debt to GDP ratio on a permanent downward target.
Ken Epp Reform Elk Island, AB
Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday my question regarding the Pérez affair was brushed off because it was deemed to be a matter of the previous administration.
We must remember that this involves two individuals who are currently members of the other place as well as the president and chairman of Canada Post so the issue is very current.
The government promised openness and honesty. I cannot for the life of me figure out why the Prime Minister would not ask the ethics commissioner to clear the air. Why will he not?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the problem is that it is not within the jurisdiction of the ethics counsellor. We had asked a committee of the House to look into the question of lobbying and so on. It made its report today with amendments. It will be given to another committee of the House to look at the code of conduct for members of Parliament and senators.
This has to be decided by the members themselves, not by the government, because this affects the conduct of the members of the Senate and the members of the House of Commons. It is not for the government to dictate to members of Parliament what to do. Members of Parliament are mature and competent enough to give themselves guidelines. The member will be invited to participate if he has views to share.
Ken Epp Reform Elk Island, AB
Mr. Speaker, this is now the third time that we have asked for a response or a study or an investigation by the ethics counsellor. The answer we have received each time is: "No, no, no".
If the Prime Minister will only authorize the ethics counsellor to investigate when it is safe, when and who is going to investigate controversial issues like this one for which Canadians demand an answer?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as I said at the beginning, it is in relation to a situation that occurred when we were not in government. I also said that the question of the conduct of members of Parliament is a matter that is vested with the House of Commons. We will be asking a committee of the House to report on that and the hon. member can deal with this problem.
The government of today does not have to respond to what happened in previous administrations.
Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the Environment. The minister told us yesterday, with regard to the hull of the Irving Whale , and I quote: ``-we did have an electronic inspection done last June''. Our information, however, is that the inspection was a sonar side scan. This inspection permitted only a partial check of the hull using an inaccurate procedure. A real electronic inspection would have revealed the solidity of the welding and the state of structural cracks in the barge.
Is the minister going to be satisfied with a partial study, which does not permit any conclusions to be drawn on the real solidity of the hull and is she prepared to assume responsibility for any spill that may occur during refloating?
Sheila Copps LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, with the agreement of the House, I would like to table the Irving Whale sidescan sonar survey which was conducted between the June 12 and 15, 1994.
Yesterday the member claimed that no survey had been done. In fact, last night at 5.30 we sent a copy of the survey to her office. I would like to read a portion of the survey to her.
The sidescan sonar portion of the survey was performed by the Environmental Marine Geology Subdivision of the Atlantic Geoscience Centre, Geological Survey of Canada using a Simrad MS992 dual frequency (120 and 330 kHz) sidescan sonar; and a GeoAcoustics SE880-
Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC
Mr. Speaker, once again, we already have this study, this report. The system is not accurate.
Will the minister acknowledge, finally, that there is some controversy surrounding her decision, with, contrary to what she claims, a number of people, including four experts in ship salvage and a scientific expert from her own department expressing serious doubts about her decision?
Sheila Copps LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, following the requests by members who have made a number of unfounded accusations up to now, it was I who provided her yesterday with the results of the three-day study.
I am not a scientist, but I have much greater faith in the Geological Survey of Canada than in the politics of the hon. member across the floor, who, to date, has not read any report or accepted any analysis and has even refused to read the documents I provided the House on this matter last year.
Leon Benoit Reform Vegreville, AB
Mr. Speaker, farmers need clarification from the minister of agriculture as to who the Crow phase out payment is intended to benefit. Is it intended to benefit landowners or is it intended to benefit farmers?
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, in the absence of the minister of agriculture who is presently out west talking to a wide number of farm organizations, I will take the hon. member's questions as notice.
The package that was announced in the budget to provide assistance to farmers with the phase out of the WGTA is designed to ensure that the investment can continue to be made for developing a new agricultural industry in western Canada. In this way agriculture can diversify and provide more value added products. That is the criteria the minister of agriculture will use. As he always does, he will use good judgment and good common sense.
Leon Benoit Reform Vegreville, AB
Mr. Speaker, on February 27, 1995 a departmental paper said the phase out money would go to landowners to help compensate for the loss of land value.
The next day the agriculture minister was quoted as saying that he was open to the possibility of encouraging provincial governments to pass the payment on to land renters.
The minister seems confused. Is the payment meant to compensate for the loss in land value or to help compensate for the extra freight cost? Farmers need an answer on this.
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that the hon. member's question is a little bit confused.
As I just explained, the minister of agriculture indicated that he is going to discuss this with a wide variety of farm organizations, which is what he is doing today, and to provide those kinds of answers. He made his position very clear.
We want to ensure that the compensation package is used in the most effective way possible to enhance the development and the reorganization of western agriculture so it can continue to offer a major base of economic growth in western Canada.
Sarkis Assadourian Liberal Don Valley North, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry. Ernst Zundel, a convicted Nazi holocaust denier, and other Zundels of the world, intend to use Internet technology to spread direct propaganda.
What action can the minister take, first, to regulate the Internet from being used to spread hate propaganda, and second, will Internet users be made accountable?
John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the propaganda perpetrated by people like Ernst Zundel is as unacceptable on the Internet medium as it is in any other.
We deplore the fact that this kind of material exists in our society. The Information Highway Advisory Council is current-
ly studying whether our existing laws are adequate to deal with problems such as those that arise under the Internet.
We will be consulting officials of the Department of Justice. I expect their recommendations will guide us in making determinations on what additional legislative action, if any, is required.