Debates of Dec. 9th, 1996

National Unity

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think that the hon. member was not in the House when we tabled the speech from the throne in February where we gave a full plan of changes in Canada. Many of these plans and ideas have been implemented so far.

For example, we have signed an agreement with the province of Alberta on manpower training. We are out of forestry now. We are out of mining. We have transferred most of the airports to municipalities and are in the process of doing that with some of the ports.

A lot of the plans that were in the speech from the throne have been implemented but of course the hon. member did not know that. We are doing it program by program, idea by idea. That is the best way.

As far as a distinct society is concerned, we voted last December and for somebody who wants to keep the country together it was noted in Quebec that they voted against it.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious from the response of the Prime Minister that there is no plan because in there somewhere he talked about airports. I do not know what that has to do with the unity of this country.

The old vision has not worked. Its defenders continue to create divisions on cultural and linguistic lines, pitting one region against another and preserving the status quo. Will the Prime Minister assure the House that all voters and not just governments will have a say on this issue through a national referendum?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have political programs when we have elections. I know that the Reform Party will have one. To deny the reality that in Canada 25 per cent of the population speaks French is denying a reality that it is a source of strength in Canada.

They are different in Quebec because the majority of the people speak French. They have a French culture and the civil code which was given by the Fathers of Confederation in 1867, making them different from the rest of the country.

Some of the provinces have some special rights when it comes to education. For example, last week we voted to change some special rights that exist in the Constitution for education in the province of Newfoundland. There are some special rights for education in Quebec too in the Constitution that were put there by the Fathers of Confederation in 1867 as there were at the time of entry into Confederation in the late fifties of Newfoundland.

Canadian Space Agency

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Industry.

Last week, the media reported on some questionable practices involving the Canadian Space Agency and its president. However, it seems that a number of ministers and the Prime Minister himself were informed several weeks ago of the serious allegations against the president and his executive vice-president.

Could the minister indicate whether he has checked or investigated these allegations to shed some light on the practices reported at the Canadian Space Agency?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the serious allegations referred to by the hon. member were about the fact that a secretary destroyed handwritten notes before they had been typed. That is all. I do not think it is that serious.

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the minister thinks these allegations are not all that serious, why does he not ask for a public and independent inquiry to remove any suspicions about the practices of the space agency which apparently did not conform to established guidelines, so the credibility of the Canadian Space Agency and its president can be restored?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I take a great pride in my responsibilities as minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency. It is something of which all Canadians should be proud.

What I find most often is an issue about pride in the Canadian Space Agency raised to me is the notion that it is located in the riding of someone who wants to break up the country that it represents.

Krever Inquiry

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians, especially those infected with AIDS and hepatitis C trust Judge Krever to get to the bottom of the tainted blood scandal. They do not trust the Prime Minister and this Liberal government who have blocked Krever in court, denied access to documents and now are even impugning Judge Krever's motives.

Why is the Prime Minister and the Liberal government trying to undermine Justice Horace Krever and his attempt to tell Canadians the honest truth about what happened to the tainted blood?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the premise to the hon. member's question is false.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, between 1980 and 1985 when this tragedy was going on, the Prime Minister was justice minister and then Deputy Prime Minister. In fact, in those days the health minister was the House leader.

Could this have anything to do with the fact that they do not want Justice Krever to find out the truth?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should understand that each and every year literally hundreds upon hundreds of requests are made of the Privy Council Office to have access to cabinet confidences.

What the hon. member is making reference to is a cabinet confidence. As told to the hon. member and as told to the House not once, not twice, but on three previous occasions, there are other ways in which commission counsel can have access to that information by subpoenaing, if necessary, individuals who could elaborate on the various facts that apparently are important to the commission and its counsel.

There are ways this information can be gathered other than releasing cabinet confidences.

Canada Post Corporation

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister responsible for the Canada Post Corporation.

Since the minister announced that the corporation would no longer be allowed to carry on the well-paying distribution of advertising mail, her decision has met with strong disapproval. Yesterday, more than 1,000 people braved the cold to protest on Parliament Hill and in front of the Prime Minister's residence. It should be noted that this is the largest collective layoff in Canada's history, with 10,000 jobs disappearing because of the government's deliberate action.

Before putting these 10,000 workers out into the street, and given the impact of such a decision on Canada Post's finances, will the minister have the courage to take a closer look at the issue and to reconsider her decision?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Radwanski consulted Canadians right across the country. He came to the conclusion that the Canada Post Corporation should first concentrate on its primary role, which is to provide the best possible mail services to all Canadians.

He also found that Canadians from all over the country do not want the corporation to deliver unaddressed advertising mail. He agrees with the persistent allegations of unfair competition made against Canada Post in this regard. After reviewing Mr. Radwanski's report, the government decided to ask Canada Post to stop delivering unaddressed advertising mail, and we will stick to our decision.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister forgot to mention that Mr. Radwanski's logic, which is now the government's logic, will lead directly to an astronomical tariff increase or to a reduction in services that could adversely affect postal services in Canada.

Does the minister realize that almost all Canadians living outside large centres will not be served by private distributors of advertising mail, and that they will no longer benefit from Canada Post's own mailout distribution service, Admail?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, this is not true. We expect this responsibility to be transferred to the private sector. In fact, out of these 9,850 part time employees, 20 per cent have already indicated that they are no longer able to deliver these mailouts, even if there is still work to be done at Canada Post with this advertising mail.

Employment

[Judy Bethel, Liberal, Edmonton East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

Last Friday, the government entered into an historic partnership with the province of Alberta. How will the new Canada labour market development agreement ensure that unemployed Albertans will get effective results based training they need for the real jobs in Alberta's labour market?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, it was indeed an historic agreement that was signed last week with the Government of Alberta.

The Government of Alberta will be able to respond to local market conditions to help unemployed people go back to work. The accountability framework, which is included in the agreement, refers to the number of people who will be returned to work with the help of those programs.

It is results based. It is results oriented. We will be able to measure how much money has been saved on the employment insurance account. The Government of Alberta will report every year to Parliament because we are responsible to all Canadians for how much has been done.

This means that from now on a worker in Alberta, in the member's riding for instance, will no longer have to wonder whether the program is federal or provincial. A single wicket will provide workers with the opportunity to return to work without any hassle.

Softwood Lumber

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Trade has been claiming that the sawmill industry is on side and that the industry is happy with the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement.

However, several Quebec lumber companies are now taking the minister to court over the export quotas they have received under the agreement. They say the minister bungled the quotas. The industry claims the minister missed the boat when he set the quotas. It wants the minister to quash the present allocation and issue quotas that are more in line with reality. Thousands of jobs are being lost across the country because the minister bungled the deal.

What specific action does the minister plan to take to resolve this situation?

[Ron MacDonald, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement was not arrived at overnight.

It was arrived at after the federal government, representing the five provinces, impacted the six industry associations. Three different sectors in the industry were widely consulted. I understand that two companies at the present time are proceeding with some legal action.

I wish to assure the hon. member that the system the government is currently responsible for was one arrived at after an incredible amount of consultation. The six industry associations and the five provinces impacted still support the deal.

I urge the hon. member, if he has more questions, to consult with the industry association in his province that supported this deal.

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

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary continues to blame the industry for the job losses.

Industry did not negotiate the softwood deal. This government did. The minister claims that the industry set the standard for the deal. Allow me to set the record straight.

The companies agreed to a reduction of 9 per cent of the 1995 exports of softwood lumber to the U.S., yet the majority of lumber producers had their quotas reduced by not 9 per cent, but 30 to 40 per cent. That is the problem.

Lumber companies are now demanding that the government cancel the softwood lumber deal. Will the government fight for Canadian jobs and cancel the softwood lumber agreement with the United States?

[Ron MacDonald, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government lives up to its international commitments, especially those that it entered into after a great deal of consultation with five provincial governments, six industry associations and all of those that have been affected.

If the member opposite was truly interested in jobs in the lumber industry he would support the sawmills, the lumber associations and the provincial governments who insisted on having this type of a deal.

Port Of Trois-Rivières

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

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

The port of Trois-Rivières is one of the most cost efficient and profitable in Canada. In 1995 alone, shipping activities increased by 45 per cent compared to the previous year. And yet, as a result of decisions by the federal government, it might lose its national port status and, consequently, its international stature.

Since the port of Trois-Rivières meets all the criteria to be recognized as a Canadian port authority, and since all stakeholders agree that it does, could the minister commit now to recognizing the role and significance of the port of Trois-Rivières by granting it Canadian port authority status?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister mentioned this issue when he was in Trois-Rivières a few days ago.

The fact is, the member should realize that Bill C-44 has not been passed yet. Before changing the whole system, we must wait for the new legislation to be in place. Thanks to the committee's hard work, the bill is now back in the House. I hope for a quick decision of the House on this bill. Only then will we be able to make a decision.

There is no problem for Trois-Rivières to wait for the legislation to be passed.

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, out of respect for what people want, can the minister assure us that, in making his evaluation, he will endorse the chamber of commerce, the evaluation committee, the Corporation économique de développement industriel et commercial and the cities of Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières Ouest, Grand-Mère and Shawinigan-in the Prime Minister's riding-that he will abide by the will of the community instead of yielding to a small group who is hustling around the Trois-Rivières Liberal Association?

Can he assure us that the $12 million reserve accumulated over the years by the port of Trois-Rivières will not be siphoned off to the Canadian consolidated fund like the reserve of the port of Quebec was by the previous Tory government?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I very seldom use my privilege. The member was absent on Friday. I spoke with the mayor of Trois-Rivières and on CHLN. The member is three days late.

I said that once the bill is passed, the government will want the port to maintain its present status. If the bill is passed as it was proposed by the minister, Trois-Rivières will qualify.

The member's information is exactly three days late.