Debates of March 5th, 1996

The Economy

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it takes two to debate. The government has nailed its colours to the mast.

Before Christmas there was a debate in the House on what the members of the opposition and the rest of the members felt should be in the forthcoming budget.

The Reform Party was notable for its absence, its lack of thought, its lack of ideas and for its lack of understanding the problem.

We are prepared to debate the issue. The question is where was the Reform Party when we had the debate before Christmas? Where is the budget the Reform Party promised it would bring down before our budget?

Department Of Citizenship And Immigration

[Osvaldo Nunez, Bloc, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, whom I congratulate on her appointment.

According to former deputy minister Roger Tassé, who was in charge of investigating the deportation services at Citizenship and Immigration, certain Canadian officials were reported as having offered bribes to foreign authorities for letting their own nationals back in.

In light of the fact that former deputy minister Tassé was clearly referring to accommodation fees, commonly called bribes, and that these fees were even reimbursed by her department, how can the minister seriously say that she does not have sufficient cause to open an inquiry? What more does she need?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, one thing is for sure: every Citizenship and Immigration employee is expected to abide by existing legislation, including our own Immigration Act, and to follow a code of conduct.

When irregularities occurred in the past, the deputy minister asked Mr. Tassé to determine whether any illicit act had been committed by department employees and report back; hence the Tassé report.

Mr. Tassé himself concluded that there was no evidence of illegality. And I should point out that nowhere in his report does Mr. Tassé talk about immigration staff giving bribes. This minister would not stand for that.

[Osvaldo Nunez, Bloc, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the president of the Canada Employment and Immigration Union himself confirmed that bribes were offered.

Could the minister tell us if she intends to call an inquiry into this and could she give us the assurance that, henceforth, her department will not spend another penny on bribes offered by government officials?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that the hon. member for Bourassa read the Tassé report before reading certain press reports.

I did so myself; I read the report. And this report clearly states that participants were informed that they were welcome to come forward with any evidence of illicit acts contravening our legislation and that it would be brought to the attention of the authorities concerned. Not one came forward with any such evidence.

Before making accusations against Citizenship and Immigration officials, the hon. member for Bourassa should check the facts.

Canadian Waterways

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Americans are flexing their muscles not only with respect to Cuba but also on Canada's west coast. As a consequence of Brian Tobin's ill advised and unsuccessful 1994 fish war with the U.S., the American Congress has found B.C.'s inside passage to be an international waterway.

Why has the government failed to protect Canada's sovereignty on this internal Canadian waterway?

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

Mr. Speaker, this is not new. This has happened before. To bring the House up to speed, the U.S. has complained that we have applied the transit fees of two years ago inappropriately and not in accordance with international law.

In January we sent a note to the United States indicating that it is reasonable to use these terms and options in inland waters. The waters under question include the inland waters of British Columbia.

The fees are quite appropriately charged in inland waters. The right of innocent passage, which really is at issue here, applies only to the territorial sea.

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the issue warrants more than a diplomatic note. In its fisheries act of 1995 the U.S. Congress mandated that "the president should ensure that the U.S. coast guard has available adequate resources to provide for the enforcement of United States law and to keep peace among vessels operating in disputed waters".

These disputed waters are Canadian waters. Are we to expect to see battle ready U.S. coast guard vessels operating in Canada's inside passage off Campbell River?

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

Mr. Speaker, I had a long answer ready but the answer is no.

Citadel Of Quebec

[Jean-Marc Jacob, Bloc, Charlesbourg, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence. Answering a question about the events in the Citadel of Quebec, the Minister said in this House yesterday, and I quote:

"We particularly wanted to assure that the mother of the deceased was comfortable in knowing that the armed forces had dealt with the matter in the most appropriate of ways".

But, far from being convinced that it was a suicide, the mother said to the media yesterday: "With all those things going on in the Armed Forces, my son knew to much and they prevented him from talking".

Since the mother of Jonathan Brunet has bluntly refuted what the Minister said in this House yesterday, does the Minister intend to clarify the matter once and for all. Yes or No?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should realize that the armed forces came to the conclusion that the unfortunate death of this soldier was suicide, as did the coroner's office in the province of Quebec.

He may not accept what goes on in the armed forces but he is actually criticizing not only the armed forces but the coroner's office in Quebec which has come to the same conclusion.

[Jean-Marc Jacob, Bloc, Charlesbourg, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister told us yesterday that the mother was satisfied. Today she is not and there is another reason for this. This case is not unique. May I remind the House of Petawawa, Somalia, the videos, the terrorist attack against the Citadel of Quebec, and so on.

Given his attitude, does the Minister not realize that there is only one thing left to do and that is to launch a complete and independent inquiry in this matter in order to restore the credibility of the Armed Forces and his own?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think it is a real tragedy that a politician comes into the House and uses the misfortune of someone who died to score political points. I will not get into this debate any further.

Goods And Services Tax

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign the Liberals went door to door promising to abolish the GST.

Let me quote the fisheries minister in the House of Commons on February 11, 1993: "Our alternative to the GST is that we are not going to have one. We are not going to have a tax that burns the individuals and the small businesses which then go broke because they cannot afford the people and computers to do it".

My question to the finance minister is when will he uphold the promise of his fisheries minister, his caucus and his own promise when he said he would abolish the GST?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the Reform Party is running out of questions; this is about the third time in the last four days.

In case the hon. member has difficulty finding it on page 22: "A Liberal government will replace the GST with a system that generates equivalent revenues, is fairer to consumers and to small business, minimizes disruption to small business and promotes federal-provincial fiscal co-operation and harmonization". That is what we will do.

[The Speaker]

I am not sure when a book becomes a prop. You are getting awfully close to it.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, before the election the Liberals seduced Canadians with the promise of getting rid of the GST. Two years later, Canadians are left holding the GST love child and those sweet talking Liberals are nowhere to be found. They walked out.

The Minister of Finance said: "I would abolish the GST". Those are his words. Does the minister deny that he said those word? If not, why is he not meeting his promise?

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Deny it, Paul.

[Randy White, Reform, Fraser Valley West, BC]

Your nose is growing.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, if there is a paternity suit the government is not the father of the love child.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

I am not getting much support here, Mr. Speaker.

[The Speaker]

I know the hon. minister is going to get to his answer.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

The word in the red book is "replaced". That is what we said during the election campaign and that is what we are going to do.

Cuba

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Trade met yesterday in Washington with his American counterpart to discuss the measures the United States intend to take against countries trading with Cuba. There is every indication that Washington wants to maintain a hard line policy.

The Prime Minister said yesterday in Grenada that, in all probability, the United States are preparing to pass such measures because this is a presidential election year. Does the minister not think that such defeatist remarks by the Prime Minister, far from helping Canada's case, are hurting it?