House of Commons Hansard #163 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.

Topics

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

More, more.

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Jean Chrétien Liberal Saint-Maurice, QC

I cannot carry on. I do not want to inflate his ego too much.

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Reform

John Cummins Reform Delta, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Europeans have exceeded their quota under NAFO and the minister is fiddling while Rome burns or the dory sinks.

When will the Prime Minister intervene and get some action on this problem?

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to see that my colleague has taken an interest in the matter, because for the last year we have been working very diligently to put an end to overfishing.

As part of the process of putting an end to overfishing, last year we did not have this bellicose noise. We had the co-operation of the Reform Party and the co-operation of the Bloc Quebecois. I recognize that last year was a rare time when the House was unanimous and passed Bill C-29 to take the necessary measures to throw flag of convenience vessels off the nose and tail. They left last May and they have not returned.

The cabinet and the national caucus from sea to sea to sea are united behind the cause of the fishermen of Atlantic Canada. We will be calling upon them for their support again in the days and weeks ahead.

Montreal EconomyOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Martin Cauchon Liberal Outremont, QC

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the Montreal area has had more than its share of economic hardship over the past decade. But things have been looking up lately.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development update this House on the economic conditions in Montreal and the regions since the various elements of the human resources development programs have been put in place?

Montreal EconomyOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

York North Ontario

Liberal

Maurizio Bevilacqua LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I publicly thank the member for Outremont for the excellent job he did during the parliamentary committee hearings on social security review.

In the Montreal area the economy is making substantial gains. Between January 1994 and January 1995 the number of jobs in Montreal increased by 47,000. The number of unemployed workers decreased by 18,000. The unemployment rate is down by 1.3 per cent.

The red book promises are working very well in Montreal.

Coast Guard College In SydneyOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. On October 18, I asked the minister how he could justify spending nearly $10 million a year to keep the Coast Guard College in Sydney open when the Marine Institute in Rimouski, Quebec, the Pacific Maritime Training Institute in Vancouver and the Marine Institute in Newfoundland, among others, offered the same services. I never heard back from him on that.

How can the minister contemplate, as outlined in the last budget, imposing higher rates on Coast Guard service users, when he does not have the courage to end needless duplication, as in the case of the college in Sydney, which costs the taxpayers $10 million per year?

Coast Guard College In SydneyOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Acadie—Bathurst New Brunswick

Liberal

Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, every institution my hon. colleague mentioned makes a significant contribution to the Coast Guard and other services within Transport Canada. We have no intention of changing the status of the Coast Guard College in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Coast Guard College In SydneyOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC

Mr. Speaker, why did the minister not take advantage of the budget to announce the closure of the Coast Guard College in Sydney, since provincial educational facilities can provide the same services at a lower cost?

Coast Guard College In SydneyOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Acadie—Bathurst New Brunswick

Liberal

Douglas Young LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the coast guard academy at Sydney, Nova Scotia, produces people who are highly skilled and world recognized. We understand the role played by the various provincial institutions referred to by the hon. member.

I would hope the hon. member would understand that the presence of a coast guard academy such as the one at Sydney is absolutely essential to maintain the level and the standards that are well known around the world which have been maintained by the coast guard for a century now in Canada.

Treasury BoardOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Reform

John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB

Mr. Speaker, according to the estimates tabled on Tuesday, the Treasury Board secretariat will be creating 10 more management positions at a cost of $3.5 million to the taxpayer. That is $350,000 for each executive. The President of the Treasury Board must have some spectacular executives in mind for that kind of salary.

How can the President of the Treasury Board pad his executive suite with 10 more managers while in the same breath cut 45,000 jobs from the rest of the civil service?

Treasury BoardOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to look into the specifics of the matter the hon. member mentions.

Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, that overall the executive ranks in the public service have been reduced over the last four years by some 26 per cent.

As the Minister of Finance announced the other day, in our budget expenditure plan over the next three years there is a reduction of some 19 per cent in government spending. As part of the reduction in staff there will be proportional representation at the different levels: executive, middle management and frontline workers. The executive level will be part and parcel of the government's overall plan of reduction.

Treasury BoardOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Reform

John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB

I am not sure the minister heard my point, Mr. Speaker. I said that he was going to increase his own departmental executives by 10.

He said the other day: "We will continue to manage changing priorities by reallocating resources". This is not my idea of reallocating resources by adding more to his department. It seems to me that the resources will be reallocated not toward a reduction of the deficit but to his own department.

Does the President of the Treasury Board need to increase his executive staff by 15 per cent when he is reducing the total number of the federal civil service by over 20 per cent?

Treasury BoardOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, I do not know from where the hon. member gets those figures. There is no increase in the staff at Treasury Board.

In fact there is a reduction as there is in all departments as part of the overall plan to get the deficit of the country down. That has been part of the government's program as announced by the Minister of Finance.

HealthOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Audrey McLaughlin NDP Yukon, YT

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. As the minister knows, as cash transfers to provinces go down the tax point shares go up.

Yesterday the Prime Minister, speaking straight from the heart, said: "When you transfer tax points you lose all leverage after that because you don't collect the money. The day that you don't have any more cash, you can't use the leverage". That suggests to me that it is straight through the heart of the health care system.

I want to ask a question of the minister whose major responsibility to the Canadian citizen is to protect the national health care system. Clearly she has not been successful. Will she do the right thing and resign?

HealthOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I explained very clearly it is because we want to maintain the five conditions of the health act that we have to make sure we transfer cash. That is why we decided to have a system of block funding so that we could have some influence.

When they have tax points the provinces are not obliged to listen to us any more. I recognize that we need some leverage because if we did not have leverage some provinces would have already cut into the five conditions. We need to have the means to make sure they do not use the fact that they have only tax points to destroy medicare.

We will keep what is needed for medicare to stay as it is.

The BudgetOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Andy Scott Liberal Fredericton—York—Sunbury, NB

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board.

Monday's budget, as has been mentioned, announced a reduction of 45,000 positions within the public service over the next three years. There is much uncertainty about the impact of these reductions.

Could the minister indicate what measures will be offered to these employees and assure the House that every effort will be made to accommodate employees through early retirement, early departure and other programs?

The BudgetOral Question Period

3 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, the short answer is yes. We value our employees, the ones who will be leaving and the ones who will be remaining.

We certainly want to provide those who are leaving every opportunity to adjust back into the community. There will be early retirement provisions and early departure incentives that involve training and counselling. A wide range of services will be available to them which will help in terms of the adjustment.

They have been hard, dedicated workers for the people of this country. We want to make sure that we treat them fairly and reasonably.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

March 2nd, 1995 / 3 p.m.

The Speaker

I wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in our gallery of His Excellency Willy Claes, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Presence In GalleryOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Sault Ste. Marie Ontario

Liberal

Ron Irwin LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, in response to a question from the hon. member for Prince George-Bulkley Valley, I believe I said he had 23 First Nations and he has 11. Once again, it is the other critic, the hon. member for Skeena, who has 23.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

The clarification is noted.

I have a point of privilege from the hon. member for Sherbrooke. Might I ask the hon. member if this point of privilege arises out of this question period?

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jean Charest Progressive Conservative Sherbrooke, QC

No, Mr. Speaker, it does not arise out of question period.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

Pursuant to the rules of the House, the hon. member would know, being a respected parliamentarian, that the Chair should have at least one hour's written notice. I am sure the hon. member will want to proceed according to the rules and do just that. His question of privilege will be heard at the earliest possible time.

Points Of OrderOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jean Charest Progressive Conservative Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I thank the Chair for its patience and for the clarification on the question of privilege.

This question of privilege arises out of an article published today in a paper which is well known on the Hill, the Hill Times . I wanted to advise the House immediately.

The Speaker will know, as all members of the House know, that a member also has the duty to inform the House and his fellow colleagues as soon as he or she is aware of the question of privilege, which I chose to do today. It relates to the secrecy of the budget process.