Debates of June 16th, 1995

Quebec Sovereignty

[Jean H. Leroux, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebecers are not taken in by federalists' criticism of the extraordinary historical agreement reached this week by the Action démocratique du Québec, the Quebec government and the Bloc Quebecois.

The sincere offer made by sovereignists to form an economic and political partnership is a concrete and solid proposal, particularly when compared to the about-face by the Minister of Labour and member for Outremont, who has had such changes of heart in the past.

By calling this offer an unacceptable proposal, the new passionaria of the status quo, as she is rightly called today by Lise Bissonnette, is displaying intellectual dishonesty. Not only does the minister reject the offer contained in the Allaire report, which she supported, she also thinks Quebecers are stupid.

Sadly, federalism has nothing to offer Quebecers but resignation and resistance to change.

Bernard Harms Medal

[Ray Speaker, Reform, Lethbridge]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute my colleague, the member for Capilano-Howe Sound, who will receive a prestigious prize in international economics on Monday, June 19.

The member, a former economics professor at Simon Fraser University for over 17 years, is one of Canada's best known economists and one of the few Canadians listed in Who's Who in Economics in the World . He will be recognized for his outstanding contribution to international economics.

The prize, the Bernard Harms Medal, is given biannually by the Institute for World Economics of the University of Kiel, Germany. The institute, a leading economics research centre, is Germany's official depository for all international economics publications.

To my knowledge, the member for Capilano-Howe Sound is the first Canadian to win this medal and one of the very few Canadian parliamentarians to win such a prestigious award while in office. On behalf of my colleagues I want to congratulate the hon. member for Capilano-Howe Sound for his achievements.

[The Speaker]

My colleagues, I think it is appropriate to say that we are all very proud in this House of the hon. member for Capilano-Howe Sound and we congratulate him.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Employment Equity Award

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this being National Public Service Week, I would like to congratulate the Department of Canadian Heritage, which recently received an employment equity award for its contribution to the promotion of women in public institutions.

The employment equity awards board was impressed with the significant contribution made in 1994 by the National Advisory Committee on Women's Issues and their positive accomplishments, including the annual women's conference held in June 1994.

Moreover, they recognized that women's noticeable presence in the management category, as well as the support showed to the national advisory committee by senior management, confirm that the Department of Canadian Heritage recognizes the contribution of women in the public service.

Mrs. Marie Trudeau was delegated by the deputy minister to accept the plaque from Mr. Eggleton, on behalf of the department. Congratulations to the Department of Canadian Heritage.

The Outaouais

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Saint-Denis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during his visit yesterday to the Outaouais region, the Quebec minister responsible for restructuring tried to downplay the fact that 3,500 jobs in the region could be lost if Quebec becomes independent.

At a time when the PQ government is closing hospitals and reviewing the education budget so as to provide for the establishment of a university in Lévis, how can the minister claim that an independent Quebec will create 3,500 jobs in the parapublic sector just to help the region?

Outaouais residents do not believe these promises made by separatists, nor do Radio-Québec union members, who recently

had to ask the Bloc Quebecois leader to put pressure on the PQ government so that it would fulfil its commitments.

Bosnia

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government says it is concerned about the situation of the peacekeepers held hostage in Bosnia and about the confrontations between the Serbs and the Muslims. Canada's position remains unclear on the situation in the former Yugoslavia, particularly with regard to participation in the rapid reaction force.

Would the Minister of National Defence bring us up to date on the situation of the 12 Canadians held hostage in Bosnia and the 800 peacekeepers confined to their camp without any possibility of leaving, it appears, as fighting intensifies on the outskirts of Visoko?

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

Mr. Speaker, I should point out that 699 soldiers remain on the base at Visoko. They are in good shape. Their safety is not at risk, but Muslim forces do block access to the camp.

In addition, 115 members of our team are at Kiseljak with British and other forces. There is no problem, and movement is not restricted. Unfortunately, we also have 11 soldiers at Ilijas. We are very concerned about their safety, because of the concentration of Muslim forces. This is the reason I strongly registered our objection with the Bosnian Serb authorities in a meeting this week with the chargé d'affaires of the Yugoslav government.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the UN Security Council ratifying the establishment of a rapid reaction force of 12,500 this morning, could the Minister of National Defence now tell us once and for all whether Canada intends to participate in this force?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister raised this matter in Halifax and the final decision is up to him. We need assurances on the command and control of this force and on all the other factors related to deployment. The decision to take part or not should be made today or over the weekend, therefore soon.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I think we would agree that all Canadians are eager to find out what sort of commitment the government will end up making in this difficult matter.

By continuing to fight in Bosnia, the Bosnian Serbs and the Muslims have clearly rejected the formal warning of the G-7 last night. What new initiative does Canada plan to propose to its G-7 partners and to the Russian President, who are meeting in Halifax today, in order to resolve the continuing impasse in Bosnia?

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

Mr. Speaker, last night the Prime Minister said on behalf of the G-7 leaders that the only way out of this very difficult situation is to reopen negotiations for the parties to come to some kind of an agreement.

The international community has protested very strongly the actions that have gone on with the hostage taking and also with the build-up of the forces of the Bosnian federation. This matter is of grave concern and will be the subject of discussion throughout the day.

With respect to what we can do at the moment, given the fact that our people are there not as belligerents but as peacekeepers, we are concerned that they take all precautions at the base in Visoko to minimize any damage should any artillery or any other type of shelling occur. It is to that end that extra fortifications have been erected and precautions have been taken by the commander, Colonel Redburn.

I am pretty confident that the people in Visoko, although we do not accept the situation at all, will be fine and are not in any immediate danger. I continue to be preoccupied with the safety of the 11 people detained in Ilijas because of the growing conflict in and around that town and the fact that the Bosnian federation has said they want to liberate Sarajevo and that town is between the concentration of forces and Sarajevo.

I also want to add that we remain concerned about Captain Rechner but we have had information over the last few days that he is okay and is near the Bosnian Serb capital of Pale.

Leclerc Institute

[Michel Bellehumeur, Bloc, Berthier—Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General. It has come to light that the Leclerc Institute, a federal penitentiary, is controlled by organized crime. It seems that, one of the inmates actually had a jogging track installed in the prison in addition to throwing a seafood party for the prison population.

Given the apparent involvement of the penitentiary's management in the incidents which are currently under investigation,

will the Solicitor General tell us whether he is investigating the matter and whether he will commit to making the investigation's finding public?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, a special commission of inquiry was established at the end of April to investigate all of these allegations. We expect it to complete its investigation shortly, and I will do everything possible to bring the conclusions of the inquiry to the attention of the hon. member.

These allegations are very serious, and we are treating them as such. That is why the commissioner established a special commission of inquiry several weeks ago, at the end of April of this year.

[Michel Bellehumeur, Bloc, Berthier—Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious issue, yet we still do not know who is leading the inquiry. Will the Solicitor General tell us whether the people under investigation who work at the Leclerc Institute have been suspended from their jobs for the duration of the inquiry?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I do not have this information with me, but I will get in touch with my hon. colleague later to give him the name of the members of this commission of inquiry. At the moment, there are only allegations, but we are taking them very seriously.

Ethics

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, one year ago today the Prime Minister rose in this House and gave a stern speech about earning public trust and restoring political integrity. He said that both were vital to democracy and were more than just nice words.

Twelve months later this Prime Minister's speech rings hollow. We have seen a heritage minister defended, even applauded, for dishing out departmental contracts as a reward for political donations. We have seen $26 million diverted to a tourist highway in the public works minister's own riding. We have seen the revenue minister's campaign workers lining up for patronage appointments in B.C.

Canadians expected as much from Brian Mulroney. They demanded more from this government.

Why has the government turned its back on the Prime Minister's words of only one year ago, abused the public's trust, and abandoned political integrity?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, in spite of the unfounded innuendo of my hon. friend, the facts of the matter are that this government treats matters of ethics and integrity very seriously and gives them a high degree of priority.

We have great confidence in the way we are responding to what the Prime Minister said a year ago. Those words remain as valid today as they were a year ago.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let me refer again to the Prime Minister's speech.

He promised to give a meaningful voice to elected representatives in the House and end the politics of cronyism and secret back door deals. I am sure that is cold comfort to the one dozen Liberal dissidents soon to be punished, cold comfort to the police officers in B.C. who have to deal with incompetent Liberal appointments, and cold comfort to the people of Wentworth Valley who have to travel along the deadly highway 104.

What has happened to this government's promise of giving a meaningful voice to MPs, ending the politics of cronyism, and ending secret backroom deals? They made the promise and broke it. Why?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we have kept that promise, as we have kept generally the promises on which we campaigned.

Just to take the example of the role of MPs, we changed the rules of the House to enable measures to be sent to committees before second reading to enable members to play a bigger role in committees in the development of legislation.

We changed the rules of the House so that committees could develop legislation. That was done for the first time in the history of the Parliament of Canada.

We are also treating Private Members' Business, measures presented by members individually, on a free vote basis in every case, something never before done in the history of Parliament.

Instead of being blinded by her own innuendoes and prejudices, the hon. member should look at the facts and recognize the achievements of the government.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Beaver River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, they say they have generally kept them, but specifically backbenchers are being nailed one by one the minute they open their mouths.

The Prime Minister said that he sets the moral tone for the government, and he certainly has. He has ignored the federal code of ethics, sidelined the ethics counsellor and has broken red book promises, all in the name of party loyalty and political expediency.

I guess we should not be surprised. In 1983 the current Prime Minister defended Alastair Gillespie, a former energy minister who had received financial favours from the Trudeau government. Twelve years later the Prime Minister dusted off Hansard ,

spiced up the rhetoric and gave the same speeches in defence of the heritage minister about ethical behaviour.

Will the government revive its promise to restore integrity in government and demand the resignation of the minister of heritage?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, that promise remains valid. It is being carried out.

There is one interesting thing about the hon. member's questions. They show that she on behalf of her party and her party are totally satisfied with the way we are handling the economy. They show that she and her party are totally satisfied with the way we are handling the reform of social programs. They show that they are totally satisfied with the way we are handling our relations with other countries.

Because of the way she chose the priority of questions in the House on behalf of her party, she is doing nothing more than giving a general endorsement of the work of the government and we appreciate that endorsement.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Immigration

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Acting Prime Minister.

It seems Immigration Canada has retained the services of Philippe Rayntjens as an expert witness during the proceedings to revoke the status of Léon Mugesera as a Canadian resident. The House will recall that Mr. Mugesera was a friend and adviser of the former president who was responsible for the genocide in Rwanda.

Could the Acting Prime Minister explain why Canada retained the services of Mr. Rayntjens who, like Mr. Mugesera, was an adviser to the president at the time of the genocide in Rwanda?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Secretary of State (Parliamentary Affairs) and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the government have made a commitment to remove all criminal elements from our society. Unfortunately, since the case is now under investigation, we cannot comment further. The case is now under investigation, and we hope to settle this matter very shortly.