Debates of Sept. 27th, 1995

Camp Ipperwash

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

Mr. Speaker, the federal government is not allowing any such conduct. It is certainly ready, at the request of the solicitor general of Ontario, Mr. Runciman, to provide support along the lines of the standing arrangements we have.

In the meantime this is strictly a matter for the Ontario Provincial Police. If the member does not think his Conservative friends in Ontario are doing their job, he should tell them directly.

Canada-Quebec Economic Union

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

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

Yesterday, the Minister of Finance indicated that chances of an economic union between a sovereign Quebec and Canada were non-existent. He went so far as to say that, even if he wanted to, it would not be possible.

My question is quite down to earth. Will the Minister of Finance come back to his senses and admit that Quebec is the second largest market in Canada, with 400,000 Canadian jobs depending on trade with Quebec, and that Ontario alone enjoys a net surplus of $4 billion per year in its trade with Quebec?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, all the more reason for Quebec to remain in Canada. What I said yesterday was very clear. I did not say that there would be no trade between Quebec and Canada. What I said is that there would be no economic union between Quebec and Canada as described in the referendum question. And the reason for this is very obvious: while $33 billion in goods are sold to Quebec by the rest of Canada, $165 billion in exports go to the U.S., and Canada can never put this at risk.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the light of what I said and what the minister himself just said, will the minister finally admit that an economic union is not only desirable but inevitable in the interests of both partners, Canada and Quebec, especially since he knows full well that the U.S. stands to benefit from this continued union because they will have access to the Canadian and Quebec markets under the very same terms they now enjoy?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. members are having a hard time understanding. At present, Canada is part of NAFTA. This agreement was signed and ratified. So, cultural exemptions, the agricultural policy, binational panels, all those things are already in place and Canada will continue to enjoy them.

The only problem would be if Canada wanted or agreed to negotiate an economic union. All this would then be at risk.

The difference between Quebec and Canada is that, if Quebec wishes to join NAFTA, this will mean no more agricultural policy, no more cultural exemptions, no more binational panels and no more procurement policy.

At present, Quebec is part of NAFTA and things are working well. If Quebec separates and then wants to join NAFTA, it will be undermining the basis of the Quebec economy. That is what I call putting your cards on the table.

Manitoba Entertainment Complex Inc.

[Jan Brown, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it appears that the Minister of Human Resources Development has used the unfortunate financial situation of the Winnipeg Jets to line the pockets of his campaign contributors.

The minister gave $533,000 to Manitoba Entertainment Complex Inc. Is the money the minister gave to Manitoba Entertainment Complex Inc. in any way related to the campaign contributions its president gave the minister for the 1993 election?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

I would ask that in the phrasing of the question we not try to give reasons why one thing or another happens. I will permit the hon. minister to answer that question.

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development and Minister of Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, once you subtract the hyperbole, exaggeration, and the overtone of character assassination the hon. member introduced into her question, I certainly welcome it. It gives me the opportunity to clarify a misleading story that appeared.

The best way to do that is to cite the response made by the regional director general of HRD in Winnipeg, who pointed out that this project had at stake close to 1,400 jobs potentially lost to the city, involved all three levels of government, municipal, provincial, and federal, involved hundreds of representatives from the private sector, virtually all the major businesses in Winnipeg, plus tens of thousands of residents of the city, all of whom were interested in trying to preserve the jobs and the economic development. The program was simply designed to ensure that the proper diligence and feasibility was done to make sure that was a good public investment to make.

It has nothing to do with campaign contributions. The hon. member should know better than that. She should deny and retract that allegation.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[Jan Brown, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, even the perception of abuse of taxpayers' dollars is unacceptable. I would like to continue with my question.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

My dear colleagues, may I caution you about imputing motives in the question. I will permit the hon. member to put her question now.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order. My colleagues, as we all know, points of order that arise in the question period will of course be heard by me at the end of question period.

I would invite the hon. member for Calgary Northeast to put her question. The hon. member for Calgary Northeast.

I am sorry, I thought the hon. member had said she would pass. You will forgive me if I misunderstood. I thank God we only have one Wednesday every week. The hon. member for Calgary Northeast.

[Jan Brown, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is Calgary Southeast, not Northeast.

[The Speaker]

And I apologize. Calgary Southeast.

[Jan Brown, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is put with sincerity and focused on the issue at hand.

Can the minister explain to the House why he appears to be taking advantage of the financial plight of a hockey team in his riding to line the pockets of his election contributors?

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Rimouski-Témiscouata.

Canada-Quebec Economic Union

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC]

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

The minister ruled out the possibility of a customs union between Canada and Quebec when he said: If Quebec separates, what interest would Canada have in meeting the needs of the foreign country it would have become?

The minister knows full well that it would be in the best interests of Canada to maintain the current customs union. Are we to understand from the comments he made yesterday that the minister intends to personally set up barriers to impede the free movement of Canadian goods sold in Quebec, including controls at the border?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, it is not me but the NAFTA provisions which would require that the United States and Mexico get the same benefits and privileges. Our country would be opposed, because it would stand to lose too much.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, is the Minister of Finance telling us that he personally wants to make life difficult for Ontario companies which, every year, sell vehicles and automotive accessories to the tune of $1.3 billion in Quebec, for Albertans who sell us 51 per cent of their cattle production, and for his Bay Street friends who, year in year out, provide financial services worth close to $3 billion in Quebec?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, what I am saying is that the Canadian government will not be prepared to do what the separatist movement is willing to do, that is to jeopardize the protection afforded to the agricultural sector, and to also jeopardize the automobile industry, the bilateral panels and the cultural exemptions.

Mr. Speaker, is the hon. member prepared to jeopardize the safeguards that we have put in place to protect French language and culture?

Infrastructure

[Harold Culbert, Liberal, Carleton—Charlotte, NB]

Mr. Speaker, indeed it is wonderful Wednesday. My question is for the minister responsible for the infrastructure program.

I continue to receive enthusiastic reports on the infrastructure program from the mayors of municipalities throughout Carleton-Charlotte. They praise the program for its assistance in completing the many projects that have benefited their communities and citizens.

Can the minister tell the House what the second year of the infrastructure program has accomplished for Canadian municipalities and their citizens?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, it has been almost two years since the program on infrastructure was launched with the municipalities and with the provincial governments. The program has been a great success in implementing a promise made by this party in the last election campaign.

To this point in time, of the $6 billion originally allocated by the different orders of government, 93 per cent of it has been allocated in some 11,000 projects right across the country. Those projects are helping to strengthen the infrastructure of our local communities, attracting additional investment dollars, and are putting over 100,000 Canadians to work, creating the kinds of jobs we need in this country. That is the kind of agenda Canadians want from this government.