Debates of March 29th, 1995

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, to begin with, what is at issue is the validity of an instrument created under federal jurisdiction. I am very confident that the federal interpretation of the law will prevail.

Second, the Alberta government, as the hon. member has just pointed out, agrees with the position. It is taking the appeal. It will argue the appeal and it will contend that the judgment should not stand.

Third, there is a world of difference between commenting on the facts of the case implicating the guilt or innocence of the accused person, which would be improper, and commenting on the legitimacy of a piece of legislation before the court on a legal argument as to validity. There is a world of difference and nothing improper at all has occurred.

Health

[Dianne Brushett, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

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

A recent Statistics Canada study indicates that women in Cumberland county have the highest rate of hysterectomies in the country. Because the rate is two to three times higher than the national average, because it is a costly invasive surgery removing the uterus, will the Minister of Health investigate to determine if these alarming statistics are unnecessary surgery?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, phenomena such as this occur across the country. While the issue of medical practice is largely a responsibility of provincial governments, the federal government has taken some initiatives in this regard.

In collaboration with provincial governments as well as national medical groups, Health Canada has developed guidelines for Canadian clinical practice. As well, the National Forum on Health is taking a close look at why patterns of medical practice differ across the country.

We are launching and have launched centres of excellence that will be looking at the entire issue of women's health. The government is determined to address issues of women's health that have been ignored for a very long time.

Publishing

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. In the midst of the Ginn Publishing controversy, the heritage minister, we will recall, proved to be incapable of adequately looking after the interests of Canadian publishers. One year later, the minister does it again, announcing cuts in excess of 33 per cent to Canadian publishing development assistance and 71 per cent to grants for the distribution of new publications.

How can the minister justify such extensive cuts, which will hurt publishers, after his gross mishandling of the Ginn Publishing issue?

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, let us not get ahead of ourselves here. We are in the process of reviewing programs, to see how they can be amalgamated to increase efficiency, and the stakeholders will be consulted in the process.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, how can the minister claim to protect publishers when he is chopping programs specifically designed to offset losses resulting from the elimination of the postal rate on books and the introduction of the GST, two measures that are still in effect?

[Michel Dupuy, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, these measures were taken by the previous government. What I am saying is that we are looking at ways to replace these various programs with new and more efficient programs.

Canadian Armed Forces

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, given the Somali incident, the Petawawa videos and the low morale in the armed forces and the fact that the members of our armed forces are being forced to do more with less, what does

the Minister of Defence intend to do about the ten armed forces suicides at Valcartier? What is he doing to get to the heart of this distressing situation?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, when the matter of suicides in the armed forces was raised some months ago, I looked into the matter and discussed it with the chief of defence staff. We have found that the rate of suicides is lower in the armed forces than it is for the population as a whole.

There has been some concern recently about a number of suicides, specifically with troops coming back from Bosnia and Croatia. I have asked for more information on it to see whether or not there is a disturbing trend.

Any suicide, any death is tragic. The hon. member talks about morale and leadership in the armed forces. As a former distinguished general officer in the armed forces, I would hope he would discuss with his colleagues ways in which they can help to assist with morale and leadership in the armed forces, not by the comments in their questions.

The morale and leadership in the armed forces are a hell of a lot better than they are in the Reform Party.

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would be more than delighted to help him or the troops directly in any way I can.

In the meantime my question through you, Mr. Speaker, to the minister is: What are you doing specifically?

[The Speaker]

I am sure the member would want to rephrase his question.

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

In that case, Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary. Canadian soldiers and their families know that death is an occupational hazard. It is expected in the course of duty, but when it takes the form of ten suicides, some sort of explanation is necessary.

What steps will the minister take to reassure the families of the other soldiers that he has the situation in hand and will initiate a plan of action to resolve the problems in the armed forces?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the suicide rate is lower in the armed forces than it is in the general population.

The Environment

[Len Taylor, NDP, The Battlefords—Meadow Lake, SK]

Mr. Speaker, world leaders are beginning to meet in Berlin. I believe the Minister of the Environment will be travelling next week to Berlin to participate in talks aimed at stabilizing levels of greenhouse gases now threatening the earth's climate.

Most of the world's largest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases including Canada have filed shameful reports indicating that they will not meet the commitments they agreed to at the Rio Climate Summit in 1992.

Given that it is clear the world is facing an issue with uniquely large and irreversible consequences and the delegates in Berlin cannot afford to waste the opportunity to begin turning the ship around, why is it that Canada's wimpy actions on climate change are not as forceful as our resolve to preserve the fish stocks off the Atlantic coast?

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

Mr. Speaker, first I thank the hon. member for the question. It happens to be one of the few opposition questions on an issue which actually threatens the planet far more greatly than any threat for even the fish stocks.

In fact, the death of the cod stock is partly as a result of the global warming effect which has seen the level of the planet's temperature increase by three degrees since the beginning of time. We expect another three degree increase in the next 50 years.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Hamilton East, ON]

Members across the way may not be interested, but the member is right. We need a stronger position and we need a stronger international position.

We are hoping that with the forward thinking proposal we are bringing forward on technology twinning we will be able to achieve the dual goals of helping developing countries meet their global warming reductions utilizing Canadian technology, but above all making sure that we meet our goals not only for stabilization but also for the reduction of this deadly problem.

Tribute To Jean-Claude Devost

[The Speaker]

This concludes question period, but I would like to mention this afternoon that Jean-Claude Devost, table officer and deputy principal clerk at the journals branch, will be leaving this week to take his well earned retirement.

Jean-Claude is at our table right now. Jean-Claude, will you please stand for a moment while I read this to the House.

Jean-Claude retires this week after 28 years of loyal and devoted service to the House of Commons. He began his career working for the caucus of the Social Credit Party under Réal Caouette, and went on to work in various capacities in the House. He became a table officer in 1991.

I know, my colleagues, that you would like to join with me in recognizing Jean-Claude's long and successful career. I want to wish you, Jean-Claude, and your wife, Suzanne, good health and much happiness in the years to come.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Points Of Order

[Jean Charest, Progressive Conservative, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my point of order relates to question period. During question period the hon. member for Kootenay West-Revelstoke referred to a document relative to the Pearson development issue. I wonder whether with the consent of the House we could ask the member to table the document in the House of Commons.

[The Speaker]

Colleagues, it is somewhat unusual to have a paper tabled by a private member. However, with unanimous consent this House can make any decision it likes. Is there unanimous consent?

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker]

There is not unanimous consent.

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier today in a statement to the House I inadvertently and mistakenly mentioned that there were 110 land mines buried in 62 countries across the world. In fact, there are not 110 and there are not 110,000. There are 110 million. I want to make it perfectly clear to the House the magnitude of this terrible plague.

[The Speaker]

I am sure the record will be corrected.