Debates of Oct. 11th, 1996

Air Transportation

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the use it or lose it policy of the government, established by this government was that if an airline did not pick up the route and use it within the required period of time, which is one year, it would be offered to another airline. We do not wait until the exact second of 365 days and then say that it is over. If there was no other airline that wanted to come in, we would probably let the thing slide. But the principle of use it or lose it remains our policy.

Under this policy Air Canada has acquired a substantial number of new routes. It has the majority of the routes which Canadian airlines overall have established with the United States since open skies. It has 60 per cent of the international routes and 70 per cent of the travellers internationally to or from Canada.

If that is mistreatment of Air Canada, and in addition Air Canada has been given rights to markets it never had before, such as Japan and Hong Kong, and if that is mistreatment of Air Canada, I would like to know what the hon. member is suggesting.

Health

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, during this family week the most poignant letters I have received have been from families of AIDS sufferers worrying about health research funding. I also got letters from those with schizophrenic family members who are worried about health research funding. The Liberal solution is to bend to the loudest lobby group. Reform however has a better solution: clear, concise, precise guidelines for apportioning that medical research funding.

Will the Liberals adopt clear, precise, specific guidelines for the apportioning of medical research funding?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we already have a very clear funding allocation formula.

I remind the member for Macleod and other members of the House that currently the Government of Canada allocates some $40.7 million per year for AIDS research and treatment. Of this, $17 million is allocated for research and epidemiological monitoring. That includes $5.5 million annually administered through the national health research development program; $1.5 million annually in national welfare grants research; an average of $3 million annually for infrastructure in the Canadian HIV trials network. The remainder of that amount, approximately $8 million, is with the health protection branch. Further, the Medical Research Council contributes a further $2 million for AIDS research. I think that is pretty clear.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary makes my point. Here we have the loudest lobby group with a huge amount of funding and the schizophrenic society literally with nothing. In fact, a triathlete just this last year had to ride across the country to raise the profile of schizophrenia for funding. Researchers are actually out lobbying for funding.

All we ask, and here is the specific question, will this government adopt specific, clear, fair guidelines so that all diseases will be able to get their fair share of funding, not just some disease with a loud lobby group?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I have an enormous amount of respect for the member opposite so I am a little confused as to why he would ask this House to mix messages regarding one disease and put it in opposition to another. If people are suffering from diseases, then we treat them individually. We do not try to politicize one in opposition to the other.

As the hon. member well knows, Health Canada is adopting a population health approach to treating diseases. I think he would be more than pleased to see that under that approach the funding for all diseases will be carefully allocated. There is no one sector of society that should be mistreated simply because of one's political views on the issue.

Canada Savings Bonds

[Ian Murray, Liberal, Lanark—Carleton, ON]

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

While most Canadians are pleased to see low interest rates, some seniors have expressed concern about preserving their investment income. Many seniors rely on Canada savings bonds. What can they expect from this year's launch of Canada savings bonds?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as a matter of fact, and as the hon. member who has followed this full well knows what they can look forward to is a much improved financial instrument.

The Canada savings bond, as I am sure all members in this House know, and I am sure they are all buyers, is a very safe and secure investment for Canadians.

This year the government is pleased to announce under the new agency that we are introducing a 10-year guaranteed period for those Canadians who are holding a compound CSB. That is to say while the rate in the first year will be 3 per cent, it will rise at a minimum level each and every year to 8.75 per cent over the course of the next nine years.

This is very competitive. Considering that it is cashable at any time, I would recommend to all Canadians and to all members in this House that they rush out tomorrow and buy Canada savings bonds.

Goods And Services Tax

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

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

This being family week, little Cindy-Lou Martin who is a nine year old in grade 3 at Oakridge elementary school wrote to me and asked: "Will you ask the Minister of Finance why I have to pay GST on the Bible I need for my Sunday school classes?"

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, there is nobody who would like to see us take the tax off books more than I would. Perhaps there is one other person.

The hon. member will understand that a common base is very important in the application of a tax such as this because it enables us to have substantially lower administrative costs.

The hon. member also knows that there are exemptions on taxes such as this available to certain organizations. He also knows that the tax is not in fact the full 7 per cent, depending upon the institution that is buying the book. Certain institutions have reduced rates.

I understand the tenor of the member's question. I wish I could answer it more positively and perhaps if the country gets into better financial shape I will be able to.

Joffre Shop

[Antoine Dubé, Bloc, Lévis, QC]

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

On June 12, in responding to a question of mine, the Minister of Transport refused to impose a moratorium on the closure of the track maintenance equipment repair and overhaul shop at Joffre station, in Charny, claiming that there was no increased risk from a safety point of view. Since then, evidence has shown that these risks have increased 50 per cent.

Before the Joffre shop closes on October 30, will the minister act responsibly and impose a moratorium on this closure, so that a study to estimate the risks involved can be carried out?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I constantly get questions from the other side of the House claiming, quite inaccurately, that there are increases in risk in the railway system in the province of Quebec.

There are from time to time minor variations among all provinces but essentially when we look at accidents in the various categories in which they are analyzed, there has been a slight increase in some of the derailments but not at all untoward and certainly not out of the ordinary with respect to the normal variation statistics.

I find the question very puzzling. The changes have been made and efficiencies have occurred. However, we cannot continue to maintain exactly the previous systems and then expect to get improvements in the future. We have to be willing to make changes to the system that the railways use and in the future we can expect improvements. We cannot have it both ways, as the hon. member seems to think.

Canada Post

[Bill Gilmour, Reform, Comox—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, with the purchase of Purolator Courier, Canada Post has become the largest player in the Canadian courier industry, and allegations of cross-subsidization, overly aggressive business practices and unfair competition in the marketplace are cited throughout the Radwanski report on Canada Post.

The Radwanski report recommends that Canada Post sell Purolator Courier and get out of the courier business altogether. Yet the minister responsible refuses to follow this recommendation.

Why is the minister refusing to take Canada Post out of the courier business?

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, in response to the hon. member's question, I want to tell this House that the Radwanski report has been taken very seriously.

[An hon. member]

That is a fishy story.

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, NL]

For those members who are laughing, a recommendation was made that the moratorium on rural post offices be continued, and that has been continued.

A recommendation was made regarding the increase in fees for postage for all Canadians. That has not been followed. I am pleased to announce again, as my hon. colleague did, that there will be no increases for mail.

There were other recommendations made in this excellent report that are still being studied.

In response to the hon. member's question, no decision will be made on that until there is financial consultation. However, I have to tell him that at this time there is no intention to get out of the courier service because it is a great service to Canadians.

Racism

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism.

Yesterday there was a serious issue of racism involving 30 students at Coal Harbour District High School where a robbery is alleged to have evolved into a racially motivated brawl.

Is the secretary aware of the incident and what will she do within federal jurisdiction to redress these racial tensions?

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)(Status of Women)]

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad that the member asked this question because that is the precise thing that we must continue to monitor in programs of multiculturalism.

Although we do not have the racial tensions that go on in the United States, there are the same tensions in this country. They are low key but they are there. Our programs address the issue. We work with the Canadian Teacher's Federation, the chiefs of police, many community groups and with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to educate and keep a lid on this and a watching brief on it to assure that we who live in this country promote social harmony and deal with the issue of racism head on.

Government Response To Petitions

[Ovid Jackson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 36(8), I have the honour of tabling the government's response to 38 petitions.

The Family

[Daphne Jennings, Reform, Mission—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There has been some consultation with the other parties. I hope you will find unanimous consent to move the following motion in recognition of family week.

I move:

That this House recognize the family as the building block of society and that the protection and enhancement of the interests of the family be promoted through legislative and administrative actions of the government.

(Motion agreed to.)

[John Williams, Reform, St. Albert, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Do we get an opportunity to debate the motion?

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

The motion has been adopted.

Petitions

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present two petitions to the House, the first on taxation of the family which comes from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House that managing the family home and caring for preschool children is an honourable profession which has not been recognized for its value to our society.

The petitioners therefore pray and call on Parliament to pursue initiatives to eliminate tax discrimination against families that choose to provide care in the home to preschool children, the chronically ill, the aged or the disabled.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition, concerning labelling of alcoholic beverages, comes from Vanderhoof, B.C.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House that consumption of alcoholic beverages may cause health problems or impair one's ability, and specifically that fetal alcohol syndrome and other alcohol related birth defects are 100 per cent preventable by avoiding alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

The petitioners therefore pray and call on Parliament to enact legislation to require health warning labels to be placed on the containers of all alcoholic beverages to caution expectant mothers and others of the risks associated with alcohol consumption.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise, pursuant to Standing Order 36, to present just over 4,000 petitioners from across Canada, the majority from Burlington, Hamilton, Windsor, Calgary and the great community of Lac-la-Biche, Alberta.

They point out that corporate contributions to public revenues in Canada are already the lowest among the seven major economies, the G-7 countries. They also point out that the share of federal

revenue has risen to 60 per cent from ordinary Canadians while corporations have been reduced to less than 10 per cent.

They make a whole number of other points, but the general thrust is that they are asking the Government of Canada to undertake a fair comprehensive tax reform program so that personal consumers do not suffer even more from financial insecurity and unfair costs at this critical time.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to ask the government House leader when I can expect answers to my two questions, Q-4 and Q-52.

I have asked this question previously and have not received an answer as to when the answer is forthcoming. Q-4 has been outstanding now for 227 days and Q-52 for 149 days.

Because I am being refused this information I am prevented as an MP from doing my job properly. If the government does not provide me or other MPs with the information within a reasonable length of time, we as MPs in opposition cannot properly debate and critique government legislation.

I do not know why the government is reluctant to release this information. It should have this information available before it introduces some of the relevant legislation in this House.

When can I get an answer to this? This is of great concern to me. It is incumbent on the government to produce this information.