House of Commons Hansard #221 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was environment.
Alternative Fuels ActPrivate Members' Business
The Speaker
Those in the Reform Party who are going to vote please stand. We have Mr. McClelland and the clerk will record the following: Mr. White, Mr. Ringma, Mr. Frazer and Mr. Hart will vote yea.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, the New Democratic Party votes yes on concurrence at report stage.
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
Jane Stewart Liberal Brant, ON
moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.
Mr. Speaker, I respectfully request that you take the vote just taken and apply it to the motion for third reading.
Jim Silye Reform Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, I think you will find the vote we just had can be applied in the same way. If members of the party agree, I agree.
Len Taylor NDP The Battlefords—Meadow Lake, SK
Agreed.
Alternative Fuels ActPrivate Members' Business
The Speaker
I declare the motion carried.
(Bill read the third time and passed.)
The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-295, an act to provide for the control of Canadian peacekeeping activities by Parliament and to amend the National Defence Act in consequence thereof, as amended, be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Peacekeeping ActPrivate Members' Business
The Speaker
Pursuant to an order made Friday, June 16, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred division on Bill C-295, an act to provide for the control of Canadian peacekeeping activities by Parliament and to amend the National Defence Act in consequence thereof.
As this is a private member's motion, we will proceed as we did with the other private member's motion. We will begin on my left.
(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)
Douglas Young Liberal Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have paid close attention to the number of votes taken tonight with members of the House participating and I want to check with the Chair to see if we could be informed why the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada has not participated in the voting tonight.
A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.
Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup, QC
Mr. Speaker, on May 5, 1995, I put a question to the Minister of Canadian Heritage about budget cuts affecting a program designed to subsidize the distribution of magazines and publications. At the time the minister told me he would check with his officials and find out how effective the cuts were.
However, I may recall for the benefit of the minister that cutting a job in the cultural sector has a more significant impact than it would in other sectors. For instance, it is said it costs about $20,000 to create a job in the cultural sector. Reducing subsidies for magazines and publications would have a far more significant impact in terms of jobs lost than similar cuts in other sectors.
The cultural sector is very sensitive to reductions in subsidies. In the current context it is clear the government must make cuts. However, one always wonders whether the cuts are appropriate and if it would have been possible to avoid them by raising additional taxes in some way, to avoid having to cut this kind of program.
In this particular case the current government's decision is not one with which we can feel comfortable, considering the impact this decision will have on cultural industries. Furthermore, this decision adversely affects the dissemination of Canadian and Quebec culture. The publications and magazines that receive these subsidies tend to have a fairly low circulation and may as a result of this decision be forced to stop publishing, which is a far more drastic impact than what the minister had in mind.
I would like to know whether since my question was put, the government received additional information it could use to analyse the situation or perhaps find alternatives so that the cultural sector would not be penalized by the government's decision.
Mac Harb LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the concerns of the hon. member.
As announced in the finance minister's February budget, the postal subsidy will be reduced. This cut follows earlier cuts already announced in the previous government's December 1992 economic statement and in the finance minister's April 1994 budget.
These cuts have been planned as follows: 10 per cent in 1993-94; 10 per cent in 1994-95; 15 per cent in 1995-96; and 20 per cent in 1996-97.
This breakdown explains the difference between the 8 per cent reduction reported in the latest budget and a 24 per cent reduction mentioned in some newspaper articles.
Despite the extent of these cuts, we are happy to point out once again that the postal rate increases for 1995-96 have been restricted to 5 per cent for paid circulation periodicals and to 10 per cent for small community weekly newspapers.
Also, we have successfully participated in the effort to reduce the deficit while protecting minority language weekly newspapers and ethnic newspapers. It is a success that deserves special recognition.
With regard to the overall evolution of the budget for the postal subsidy, it was first reduced from $220 million to $110 million by the previous government by excluding certain categories of beneficiaries and by moderately increasing the rates for the existing beneficiaries.
The previous government had decided to eliminate all foreign publications, periodicals distributed free of charge and dailies from the program. In April 1993, $25 million was devoted to the creation of a replacement program for the Canadian book trade. Access to the postal subsidy is now reserved for paid circulation periodicals, for library books and for small community weeklies.
I hope this response will reassure the hon. member for Kamouraska-Rivière-du-Loup regarding the short and medium term future of the postal subsidy.
Peacekeeping ActAdjournment Proceedings
The Speaker
Pursuant to Standing Order 38(5), the motion to adjourn the House is now deemed adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).
(The House adjourned at 1.19 a.m.)
