Debates of March 24th, 1995

Low Level Flights

[André Caron, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, how can the Deputy Prime Minister justify the fact that her colleague at National Defence has already begun negotiations with a view to increasing the number of low level flights, even before Cabinet has made its decision on this matter known?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence already answered this question last week. My answer is the same as his.

Health

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is very sad that 30,000 Canadians will tragically succumb to the AIDS virus over the next few years. I would like to ask the Minister of Health if she considers that a person who is HIV positive can infect another person with the HIV virus, ultimately causing them to develop AIDS and die?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, AIDS and HIV are very serious diseases. They are entirely preventable, I am told, or almost entirely preventable if people behave in an appropriate manner.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is scientific fact that tragically if one is HIV positive, one has succumbed to another virus that is infectious and can kill people.

We test immigrants for tuberculosis and other infectious, treatable and non-fatal deceases. Being HIV positive, you are infected with a virus that will kill you, is infectious and is non-curable.

Will the Minister of Health recommend to the minister of immigration that there be mandatory HIV testing for people who wish to immigrate into Canada.

[Mary Clancy, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to assure the hon. member that questions of health with regard to immigration and refugees are a very high priority for the minister of immigration. We have very stringent tests and the hon. member should depend on the minister of immigration to ensure that Canada and Canadians will be safeguarded.

Rail Strike

[Marlene Cowling, Liberal, Dauphin—Swan River, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the farmers in my riding of Dauphin-Swan River and across Canada are increasingly frustrated that it is taking so long to settle the rail strike. Bloc members say they are representing

unions and the right to strike. What about farmers? Without rail transportation farmers cannot get their grain to market.

Would the minister of agriculture explain to the House what the stalling tactics of the Bloc are costing Canadian farmers?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think I have to point out to the House that if it is costing the farmers one dollar needlessly it is one dollar too much. The Canadian economy is being hurt and we want to get the economy back on the rails.

Obviously the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP do not care. If they did care they would have helped us do that earlier this week and our economy would have been rolling again.

It is costing hundreds of millions of dollars and I implore the Bloc Quebecois to stop blocking the railways.

Gasoline

[Dave Chatters, Reform, Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the Environment. Could she confirm that she is planning to introduce legislation in the near future that would ban MMT as an octane enhancer in gasoline.

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

[Dave Chatters, Reform, Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is generally accepted that the use of higher cost alternative additives in gasoline will force the price of gasoline up.

Would the minister tell Canadians how much more they can expect to pay for a litre of gasoline after the banning of this additive?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, a substance banned by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States for the last 20 odd years, a substance currently used only in Canada and a substance under consideration for use in Bulgaria is a substance helping neither the environment nor the economy of Canada. That is why we are moving where the previous government did not, to ban its transportation.

International Trade

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade.

One of the conditions set by the Prime Minister for letting Canada join NAFTA was the negotiation with the U.S. and Mexico of improvements to the anti-dumping and subsidy regulations. These negotiations must be completed by the end of December 1995.

Since these new regulations would benefit businesses in Canada and Quebec, can the Minister for International Trade report on the progress of discussions with his American and Mexican counterparts?

[Roy MacLaren, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the discussions that were foreseen were postponed during the period when the NAFTA legislation was before the U.S. Congress. Once the legislation and the WTO were adopted by the U.S. Congress the talks proceeded.

The first consultations were held in Mexico three or four weeks ago. Further discussions are foreseen. In the first stage of the discussions the three countries are agreeing together on what the focus of their work should be in identifying the benefits of limitations on anti-dumping practices, as the member rightly says, which can bring benefit to all three countries in the NAFTA.

Rail Strike

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Algoma, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade.

Many Canadians have personally felt the devastating impact the national rail stoppage has had on the national economy. Canadians know that each hour's delay in getting the rail system moving again is costing jobs and vast sums in lost production. Can the minister give some indication of how serious the economic impact really is on Canadian workers and employers?

[Roy MacLaren, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the situation is even more acute from yesterday in that there is a cumulative effect of the impact of a rail strike. The situation becomes worse hour by hour and day by day.

The disruptions in the automobile industry are already evident, with Ford reducing its production in Canada. The potential, for example, in the province of Quebec, in particular of Repap, a large Canadian paper company, having to curtail, reduce or eliminate its production if the strike continues is increasingly evident.

In general terms, the impact on the Canadian economy can be severe. It is essential that this strike be brought to a conclusion immediately.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I would like to draw the attention of hon. members to a person in the gallery. I must confess, as your Speaker, that as a young man I was absolutely enthralled by this

lady. The attention of the world was on Canada when she so magnificently won in her event and began a tradition of successes in figure skating which goes on to this day. I share with you, my colleagues, one of the treasures of Canada, Miss Barbara Ann Scott.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

In keeping with this, those of you who are able I invite to my chambers. I will be receiving Miss Scott in your name immediately after question period.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 13 petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 69th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding its order of reference from the House, dated Monday, February 7, 1994, on the taking of divisions of the House by electronic means.

The committee recommends that the House not go ahead with the taking of divisions by electronic means at this time. On behalf of the whole committee, I wish to thank the members of the subcommittee on this issue: the hon. member for Bellechasse, the hon. member for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, who is the Chief Government Whip in the House, the hon. member for Scarborough-Rouge River, and the hon. member for Fraser Valley West-

-for the excellent work that those members did in putting together the report of the subcommittee, which is tabled herewith.

Stornoway

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

moved for leave to introduce bill C-318, an act to provide for the property traditionally used as the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition to be leased out when not being used.

Mr. Speaker, in view of the fact that Canadians everywhere are grossly overtaxed, it gives me great pleasure to introduce this private member's bill to lease out Stornoway, the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition, when not in use.

The reason for the bill is to use it as an example for other government infrastructures that are not being used and are costing taxpayers a great deal of money while not in use. I hope we can rent out, lease or sell some of the other assets that are not in use and prevent them from being a drain on the taxpayer.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

Committees Of The House

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have two motions to propose to the House today. The first deals with travel by committees.

I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That six members of the Standing Committee on Transport be authorized to travel to Washington, D.C. from April 3 to 4, 1995 for the purpose of holding hearings in relation to the committee's consideration of marine policy; and that the necessary staff accompany the committee.

(Motion agreed to.)

Business Of The House

[Peter Milliken, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to give the official opposition the opportunity to continue to sit today to end this strike that has cost so much to Canadians and caused many of our fellow citizens to lose their jobs.

I move:

That notwithstanding any standing order, the report stage and third reading stage of Bill C-77, an act to provide for the maintenance of railway operations and subsidiary services may be taken up today, provided that no divisions requested during the aforementioned business may be deferred to another day; and provided that the House shall not adjourn today until the third reading stage of the said bill has been disposed of.

I seek the unanimous consent of the House for this motion.

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

Mr. Speaker, on a point of information on the motion introduced by the hon. member for Kingston and the Islands. Does this mean that the government is prepared to approve the Bloc's amendments? If that were the case, we would give consent. I would like this to be clarified.