Debates of April 22nd, 1996

Point Of Order

[The Speaker]

My colleagues, it has been a spirited debate today on both sides. The hon. member of course does not have a point of order. I would hope that tomorrow we will be able to take up the battle again.

Government Response To Petitions

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table in both official languages the government's responses to 21 petitions.

Earth Day

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that we bring the debate back to earth given that today is Earth Day not only in Canada but across the entire globe. It is a time when we can hopefully put aside our differences and unite in pledging ourselves to conserve, to protect and to renew our planet. The theme of this year's Earth Day worldwide is "To Your Health".

Make no mistake about it, a deteriorating environment does harm human health. We see it around us manifested in different ways, in different shades and in different shapes.

I recently returned from the Arctic where I heard daunting stories of wind driven pollutants and poisons that taint mothers' milk. Also Environment Canada just finished issuing a sun screen warning for this coming summer because the ozone layer which is thinning continues to be a problem of large magnitude. We all know, in particular those of us who live in large urban centres, that the air quality is at risk. It is a risk to people, including our children and to those who suffer from breathing disorders.

The words "environment" and "health" at the end of the day are really about the same thing. They are interchangeable and the risks and stakes are quite high.

It is appropriate also that a United Nations report was just handed down which said that the pollution of earth's air and water was getting worse and not better. It warned that a staggering 150 species of plants, animals and fish become extinct every single day. Imagine the magnitude of that mathematics. Every day as a result of our unsustainable development the world over we are losing all those species around the globe. It is staggering. We truly are getting close to nature's limits which means that yes, it is time that we collectively changed our ways.

Today on Earth Day citizens and communities across our nation step boldly forward to act as responsible stewards of our natural heritage, now and for the future. Through these actions we commit ourselves to conserve nature and we promise to share the benefits of nature across our regions, across nations and across the generations.

Canadians fundamentally understand their responsibility to protect the environmental wonders that are Canada. Communities all across the country have the ideas, the energy and commitment to be and act as that first line of defence. We as a national government are prepared to help in that national exercise through action 21, a national $10 million annual program that tries to assist local groups who are trying to reclaim their respective environmental backyards. Today I have announced the latest round of projects from this program. About $2.5 million will be going to some 84 groups across Canada all aimed at creating a healthier more sustainable environment.

These projects include the East Toronto Green Community Group's efforts to reduce runoff and waste water contamination of the lower Don River; the Habitat Unlimited Society project to restore a rearing and spawning habitat for fish populations in Brierly Brook; and a project by a group southwest of Montreal to improve the methods of storing pesticides in the rural agricultural community. These are but a few examples of the innovative projects led by individual Canadians that are happening in our nation's neighbourhoods. That is where it must start because if it does not happen locally, we can talk about our strategies nationally and internationally but at the end of the day they will not succeed.

Canadians also know we are the custodians of the world's longest coastline and the stewards of one-fifth of the world's wilderness, one-fifth of the world's fresh water supply and one-quarter of our planet's wetlands. Sitting around kitchen tables, Canadian families and their neighbours have come up with grassroots ideas to restore and reinvigorate nature for the future.

In P.E.I., 50 volunteers have adopted beaches in order to protect the endangered piping plover. The Wildlands Park Development Society in Calgary is revegetating an oil refinery site. Jack Bell, a senior citizen from Vancouver, started a van pool and now operates 95 vans in order to reduce the emissions from vehicles.

Mayor Guy Leblanc of Trois-Rivières has acted to make his city bike friendly. In the past two years, volunteers have planted 750,000 native shrubs and trees along the Canadian natural highway.

Only a few hours ago I watched as grade 6 students from Rideau Valley Middle School presented us with projects they have designed to help clean up the historic waters of the Rideau River which is simply yards away from the House of Commons.

Grassroots groups and individual Canadians deserve our praise for their work to restore Canada's natural legacy. They recognize that nature is central to who we are and what we are not only as Canadians but as human beings.

Canadians rightfully expect, in fact demand, that national and international actions match their personal efforts. Canada's environment is a source of national pride. Canadians want their national actions on the environmental front lines to also be that same source of inspiration.

As one step in that direction, I am pleased to announce that every provincial and territorial government in Canada has joined with the federal government in signing a statement, a contract to conserve Canada's biodiversity. This statement is a companion piece to the Canadian biodiversity strategy released last year. This strategy will guide all governments in conserving nature and living up to Canada's global and national obligations.

There are not too many documents on which we can achieve unanimous agreement these days. However, governments in this sense have heard the voices of Canadians. Canadians want Canada to be the world leaders in the use, in the conservation and in the sharing of the wonders of nature.

On May 6, I will take part in the official opening of the secretariat of the convention on biological diversity in Montreal. The selection of Canada to host this UN office is a clear indication of the kind of trust, confidence and expectation the world places in Canada.

On Earth Day, we embrace the principle that conserving nature starts with us. If we want to change the world, we have to start at home.

On Earth Day we embrace the principle that conserving nature starts with us. If we want to change the world we need to start at home.

[Translation]

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate Earth Day. Of course, this day which is dedicated to the conservation of the earth is also linked to the environment. I believe that, as parliamentarians, we are willing to pass and enforce laws to protect the health of the people of Quebec and Canada. We must protect the environment, otherwise the population will experience serious air, health and water problems.

The protection of the environment is also a matter of education and information. I believe that very early on, children must be informed and taught about the environment, first and foremost at home, but also in school. We must protect the environment at work and in our daily lives.

I would encourage school boards do draw up an information and education plan on environmental protection to make our young people aware of this very important issue.

I would also encourage municipalities in Quebec and in Canada to set up environmental protection committees. I would give as an example the municipality of Baie-Comeau, in my riding, which created an agency to protect and improve the environment 10 years ago. The mandate of the agency was and still is to protect the water, the air and the environment as a whole.

We all know that nowadays, municipalities determine their own environmental standards. Therefore, federal, provincial and municipal laws should not overlap if we want to keep inherent costs at a minimum and avoid conflicting legislation that would impede proper application and enforcement in some areas.

In Baie-Comeau, in the riding of Charlevoix, a group called the Corporation d'amélioration et de protection de l'environnement recycles durable goods. We all know that almost everything can be recycled now: paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, wood, steel, etc. That corporation even salvages furniture which it repairs and gives to underprivileged families.

It also collects, repairs, cleans and stores clothing to give it to needy families or those who have lost their belongings in a fire, for example. It collects and repairs household appliances that previously would have ended up in the municipal dump. Nowadays, many municipalities practice selective collection; in so doing, they can reduce their sanitary landfill costs. This gives municipal governments a chance to reduce their costs for sanitary landfills.

You know that today everything is recyclable. I would even say that municipal governments would be well-advised to have their own selective pick-up and their own sorting facilities. This would even protect waterways. Certain Quebec waterways flow into the St. Lawrence River. We know that previously all municipal governments where discharging their waste into the waterways which, eventually, reached the St. Lawrence. At one time, the St. Lawrence River was considered one of the largest open air septic tanks in the world. Yet, some municipal governments are drawing their drinking water from that same river.

Nevertheless, I want to congratulate the minister. Action 21, although a very limited program, is a start. It will allow some 84 projects, totalling some $2.4 million, for the improvement of the environment. I urge all levels of government-federal, provincial and municipal-to do the same.

To conclude, as parliamentary assistant to the hon. member for Laurentides, my job is very important because the environment is the way of the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let us celebrate together this Earth Day.

[Paul Forseth, Reform, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to make a response to the environment minister's statement this afternoon. The minister has a great deal to clean up following the tenure of the Deputy Prime Minister, so what better day for the minister to start than Earth Day.

When former American President Gerald Ford proclaimed this day Earth Day he stated: "The earth will continue to regenerate its life sources only as long as we and all the peoples of the world do our part to conserve its natural resources. It is a responsibility which every human being shares. Through voluntary action each of us can join in building a productive land in harmony with nature".

There is no question that a day such as Earth Day is beneficial to heighten the awareness of the problems with our environment. However, this one day should not be the only day when we bend down to pick up the litter scattered over our streets, sidewalks and yards. The three Rs are for everyday in our communities.

At the federal level Canadians should be able to look at the actions of the minister and be confident that his actions will be beneficial to help keep our air, land and water very clean. We should not have to worry but we do worry when we look at the record left by the former Minister of the Environment and the plans set out by the current minister.

When I became the Reform caucus environmental critic I found myself dealing with a number of issues such as lifting the Irving Whale , the toxic waste mess of Sydney Tar Ponds and the gasoline additive MMT. To date the Irving Whale remains at the bottom on the Atlantic ocean off the coast of Prince Edward Island, leaking bunker C oil and PCBs.

The Sydney Tar Ponds site is far from being cleaned up since more hot spots of PCBs have been found. The Irving Whale has cost taxpayers $18.7 million, and still nothing to show for it. The Sydney Tar Ponds site clean-up has cost taxpayers more than $55 million with only 90 tonnes of the 700,000 tonnes incinerated.

With respect to the ban on the gasoline additive MMT, the minister still has no proof that MMT is harmful to the onboard diagnostic systems of automobiles. The issue is not environmental, it is political.

The west coast fishery is at risk. The minister has a role. We are monitoring. May he have courage to act.

In the minister's speech he made reference to the uncontrollable smog in urban areas and how it is a risk for children. If the minister is so concerned with smog, why would he want to ban the use of MMT in gasoline when even his own officials admit that MMT reduces NOx emissions, one of the greatest contributors to urban smog?

It seems the government's environment ministers make decisions based on what they think will affect their political future rather than on the future of the environment.

The minister mentioned various private citizens co-operating in various ways to clean up the environment. Throughout this Earth Day week in my area of Burnaby volunteers are doing what they can to make a difference.

On the British Columbia Institute of Technology campus a litter pick-up campaign is under way, which will include the Guichon Creek. Others are raising money for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society by getting pledges and walking or running the five-kilometre Burnaby mountain loop, starting at the Simon Fraser University campus.

Fish habitat in New Westminster in the Brunette Creek will be restored. People across the country will be doing what they can to make a difference in their local communities. Unfortunately this will not be enough. There are many large scale projects too large for volunteers to do on their own.

Last Thursday the committee on the status of endangered wildlife in Canada added 16 new species to Canada's list of species at risk. The issue of endangered species is one for which Canadians will want to find a solution.

Last year the former Minister of the Environment came forward with a proposal. She announced it as the solution, one which all of Canada would readily adopt. The proposal was weak from every angle. Not only did it not address the most serious issue of habitat preservation, but the proposed act would have covered only a mere 4 per cent of the land of Canada. If the Deputy Prime Minister believes animals respect provincial and federal borders, she has been drinking too much water out of the Hamilton harbour.

If the new Minister of the Environment, who so eloquently spoke about how Canadians want national action to conserve nature, truly believes what he speaks, he will have no trouble assuring the House that a new endangered species act will stop any further species from being added to a list of species at risk as a consequence of human activity.

Canadians understand the current Minister of the Environment has a great deal of work ahead of him. They also understand the previous minister created more problems than she solved.

Today, being Earth Day, is a great day for the minister to put Canada's environment back on the right track. Therefore I urge the minister to listen to what the grassroots are telling him and to allow independent, scientific tests whenever necessary and to use the best that science has to offer rather than political preening in the decision making process.

We all want to do what is right for the environment. During the minister's tenure, may we anticipate results rather than speeches, and sound policy rather than more reports on the shelf. The country is waiting.

Committees Of The House

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 14th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership and associate memberships of various committees.

If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 14th report later this day.

Manganese Based Fuel Additives Act

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-29, an act to regulate interprovincial trade in and the importation for commercial purposes of certain manganese based substances.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is in the same form as Bill C-94 of the first session of the 35th Parliament at the time of prorogation. I therefore request that it be reinstated as provided for in the special order adopted March 4, 1996.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

The Chair is satisfied that this bill is in the same form as Bill C-94 was at the time of prorogation of the first session of the 35th Parliament.

Accordingly, pursuant to order made Monday, March 4, 1996, the bill is deemed to have been read the second time, considered by the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, reported without amendments and concurred in at report stage with amendments.

Public Service Staff Relations Act

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, for Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-30, an act to amend to amend the Public Service Staff Relations Act and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of our colleague, the Solicitor General of Canada, I wish to state that this bill is in the same form as Bill C-58 of the first session of the 35th Parliament at the time of prorogation and therefore request that it be reinstated as provided in the special order adopted on March 4, 1996.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

The Chair is satisfied that this bill is in the same form as Bill C-58 was at the time of prorogation of the first session of the 35th Parliament.

Accordingly, pursuant to order made Monday, March 4, 1996, the bill is deemed to have been read the second time, considered by the Standing Committee on Government Operations and reported without amendment.

Committees Of The House

[Paul Zed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 14th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[René Laurin, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table a petition signed by almost 250 people who are members or employees of the Association des concessionnaires d'automobiles in Joliette and who are opposed to banks getting into the car leasing business.

The petitioners call upon the government not to amend the Banks Act and to maintain the status quo, that is, to keep banks from getting into the car leasing business, something which would seriously threaten the viability of the majority of automobile dealers and hundreds of jobs related to this business.

[Gilbert Fillion, Bloc, Chicoutimi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I wish to table a petition bringing to the attention of the government the fact that Le Patriarche Inc., a toxicotherapeutic organization, is currently having a hard time bringing volunteers into the country since the visas required are either refused or granted with overly long delays.

The organization's operations are therefore jeopardized. A review of Immigration Canada regulations is desirable to allow foreign volunteers wishing to come to Canada to work to do so with complete peace of mind.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as you already know, Tran Trieu Quan of Sainte-Foy near Quebec City was sentenced to life and has been held in a Vietnamese prison for two years.

The 260 people from the riding of Beauport-Montmorency-Orléans who signed this petition urge the federal government to act as quickly as possible to obtain Mr. Quan's release.

I would like the members of this House to join me in supporting his family, which is going through a very difficult time.

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions. Two of the petitions say that the section 241 of the Criminal Code states that everyone who (a) counsels a person to commit suicide or (b) aids and abets a person to commit suicide, whether suicide ensues or not, is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years, that the Supreme Court of Canada recently upheld section 241 and that if it were struck down or amended such protection would no longer exist.

The petitioners humbly ask the House not to amend or repeal that section in any way.

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta, BC]

The next petition, Mr. Speaker, states that the availability of reasonably priced energy helps Canadians to offset the high cost of transportation in a geographically dispersed country and that mobility is a basic right and an economic necessity; that 52 per cent of the price of gasoline is composed of taxes; that the federal government reinvests in highways less than 5 per cent of its fuel tax revenues; and that two committees of Parliament recommended federal gas increases of 1.5 per cent and 2 per cent per litre respectively.

The petitioners therefore request that Parliament not increase the federal excise tax on gasoline and strongly consider reallocating its current revenues to rehabilitate Canada's crumbling national highways.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present to Parliament a petition signed by 210 of my constituents in Red Deer.

The petitioners express their concerns that Canada must embrace the philosophy of zero tolerance toward individuals who drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs, and that the impact statements of the victims of the crime of impaired driving must be given the highest priority prior to the sentencing of anyone convicted of impaired driving.

Therefore, the petitioners, with whom I agree, pray and request that Parliament proceed immediately with amendments to the Criminal Code to ensure that the sentence given to anyone convicted of driving while impaired or causing injury or death while impaired reflects both the severity of the crime and zero tolerance by Canada toward this crime.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present on behalf of the constituents of Simcoe Centre.

The first petition is on the issue of euthanasia. The petitioners request that Parliament not sanction or allow the aiding or abetting of assisted suicide or euthanasia.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with concerns of age of consent laws. The petitioners ask that Parliament set the age of consent at 18 years to protect children from exploitation and abuse.

[Ed Harper, Reform, Simcoe Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition, signed by 152 petitioners, requests that the Government of Canada not amend the human rights act to include the phrase sexual orientation. The petitioners fear that such an inclusion could lead to homosexuals receiving the same benefits and societal privileges as married people.

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present a petition signed by close to 1,000 people. It arises from a situation that occurred in our nation's capital last year when the National Capital Commission was looking at selling off parts of green space and open corridors in the nation's capital.

The petitioners call to the attention of the House that when Jacques Gréber released his plan for the national capital in 1950 it was dedicated, at the direction of the cabinet, as a national war memorial to those who had fought in the wars in defence of Canada.

Therefore, the petitioners call on Parliament to ensure that this commitment and the dedication of the green spaces of the nation's capital are maintained as a national war memorial and are not disposed of or sold.

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition from people writing prior to the budget to indicate that they did not believe that health and dental plan benefits should be taxable benefits. I am sure they were as pleased as I was that the minister has decided not to do that.

However, the petitioners call on Parliament not to consider this kind of change until there has been a study of the impact on the health of Canadians of any such change.

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is from a group of Canadians of Sri Lankan origin calling on Canada to maintain its neutral position, vis-à-vis Sri

Lanka and the conflict in Sri Lanka, to assist in the resolution of the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE who represent the Tamil people, and calling particularly for the release of Mr. Suresh.