Debates of May 14th, 1996

Government Expenditures

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, one of the major objectives of the international development program is to extend the opportunity for young people in this country to travel and to bring foreign students here so they can get the kind of experience we offer in Canadian universities.

One of the first priorities we have in that program is to work with the francophonie, which includes some of the poorest countries in the world, where we have a direct connection because of the longstanding cultural and linguistic interests. It is for that reason a real emphasis is placed on trying to help the development of those poorer francophone countries.

Free Trade Agreement

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, page 24 of the red book states, and I quote: "A Liberal government will renegotiate both the FTA and NAFTA to obtain: a subsidies code; an anti-dumping code; a more effective dispute resolution mechanism-"

More than two and a half years into his mandate and in spite of the fact that the deadline for coming to an agreement with the Americans was December 31 of last year, how does the Prime Minister explain that no tangible progress has been made on this issue, when what is at stake is so important?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has been pursuing with vigour the matter of trade remedies with our partners in the NAFTA. That was the basis on which the NAFTA agreement was signed and we have honoured the agreement to pursue these matters.

A report will be coming shortly from the trade remedies group. Progress is being made, but there is still a lot more work to be done in achieving our goals within the NAFTA. We will continue to work toward those goals of removing trade remedy law applications so that we can have a true free trade system.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

The industries are still waiting, Mr. Speaker. Since the U.S. keeps harassing our industries, and the steel industry in particular, to settle the dispute over trade remedies relating to countervailing and antidumping duties, is the minister contemplating taking an industry-by-industry approach any time soon?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, we certainly are pursuing the question of the steel industry to try to bring about an end to the anti-dumping measures that are applied, as we do in any other case in which there are trade irritants.

It is worth noting that the greatest trade relationship of any two countries in the world is between Canada and the United States. There is $1 billion a day exchanged between our two countries, which means a lot of jobs and a lot of economic growth in this country. Ninety-five per cent of that trade is hassle free with no problems at all. A very small percentage still needs attention and it is getting the attention of this government.

Foreign Affairs

[Bob Speller, Liberal, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

For weeks a young Canadian has been on a hunger strike in the United States to protest the move by U.S. customs to impound a shipment of computers en route to Cuba from Canada. What action has the minister taken to help this young Canadian and make sure these computers, which have been sent for humanitarian purposes, make their way to Cuba?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as I reported to the House a few weeks ago, we have been in direct contact with the young Canadian who is on that hunger strike.

Our officials have been negotiating daily with U.S. officials to secure the release of the computers. I am happy to inform the House that we now have the agreement of the U.S. authorities to release the computers. They will be sent to Mexico. Mr. Rohatyn is going to San Diego to take receipt of those computers.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank the officials of our department and of the U.S. state department who have co-operated in resolving this very serious problem.

Prisons

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, more fallout from the meltdown at the Edmonton women's prison.

Inmate Tamara Papin, now at a provincial jail because she escaped custody from the Edmonton women's prison, was charged yesterday with the murder of Denise Fayant, another inmate.

The philosophy of operating a prison for violent offenders like a comfort cottage is nothing short of stupid. Fayant's death was brutal and unnecessary. Will the minister admit that the core philosophy behind the women's prison is a total failure? Will he shut it down, yes or no?

[Nick Discepola, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the incident referred to by the member is before the courts. It would be imprudent for me to comment on it.

I will comment on the more general issue of security in the Edmonton institution. The incident is under review. All incidents, whether they are of violence or security aspects, are under total review. We are waiting for the report and recommendations from the committee. We will ensure that all those recommendations which have been reviewed will be in place.

In addition, over $400,000 in improvements has been approved, which was announced several weeks ago. Those improvements will take almost two months to put forth. We will ensure that before any inmates are returned to the institution, the full security review is complete.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, somebody died in that prison, a fact which this government cannot get through its head. There is something wrong in that prison.

Corrections Canada built the prison for women so that female inmates would receive special treatment on the basis of their gender. Warden Jan Fox believes that no female criminals are dangerous and that women commit crimes only because they themselves are victims.

Given the fact that Corrections Canada has allowed Warden Fox to jeopardize public safety through her gender experiment, will the solicitor general fire her now, or do we have to wait for someone else to die?

[Nick Discepola, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, there is an obvious temptation by members of the Reform Party with this fiasco or the incidents which have occurred to give up on the institution.

We believe that this model of incarceration still represents the best approach in addressing a very special need that women have. This need has been identified both by the task force in 1989 and by the recent Arbour commission.

It would be prudent for us to learn from the incidents and make sure we put into the procedure the proper elements which would forbid and prevent any more security breaches in other institutions.

Immigration And Refugee Board

[Osvaldo Nunez, Bloc, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Last week, we learned that criminal charges had been laid against an IRB board member, in Montreal. We also learned that this person was not suspended, on the pretext that this was a private matter.

Given the duties of an IRB board member, how can the minister justify that this person was not suspended until the court renders its decision on the case?

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

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the Immigration and Refugee Board is a quasi-judicial tribunal. The chairperson of this board has complete authority over the board's human resources.

To my knowledge, this case is of a private nature and is not related to the professional responsibilities of the individual. Based on the information I have, this individual is currently not at work.

[Osvaldo Nunez, Bloc, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in effect, he is on vacation. Serious criminal charges have been laid against this board member and they include making death threats against a work colleague.

Does the minister realize that, by not taking action, she jeopardizes the board's credibility, since the chairperson stubbornly refuses to suspend a member facing criminal charges?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am not jeopardizing anything and I wish the member for Bourassa would be more cautious in his statements. In Canada, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The hon. member should wait until the case is heard by the court before passing judgment.

Transportation

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government is abandoning the people of Yarmouth and

southwest Nova Scotia. Their economy depends on the Bluenose ferry to move goods from Nova Scotia to markets on the American east coast. The government plans to cut the service during the winter. People are concerned about the future, but workers and private companies do not have enough information to know how to respond.

Will the transportation minister agree to a wide ranging study on privatizing the year round Bluenose ferry service and will he promise to make the study public so we can all know the facts?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member went to the maritimes and came back a convinced believer in transportation subsidies which I am delighted to hear.

Let me point out that we currently subsidize the line he is talking about for more than $5 million a year. We are trying to reduce our subsidies for transportation. We are trying and succeeding. We have discovered that by reducing the service for the six winter months when only 8 per cent of the traffic of that service takes place, we can save $1.5 million.

It is a tough decision but the government is willing to make tough decisions based on principle. Reform's taxpayers budget talked about eliminating these subsidies to transportation yet the hon. member and his friends immediately go off and suggest that we increase subsidies. That is a very contradictory position.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, maybe when the minister gets back to his office he could have his staff explain the difference between subsidized and privatized.

The people of Nova Scotia are asking for $100,000 of infrastructure money for a privatization study. A privatization study. They know full well the Liberals squandered millions and millions of dollars on boccie courts and Saddle Domes. They also know that the government was responsible for a general's going away party which cost a quarter of a million dollars.

Will the minister authorize a privatization study at a cost of $100,000? Yes or no?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member presented a letter to me, and I understand to every member of the press gallery, dealing with this issue.

I can say to him that we made public in the summer of 1995 the full financial decision making of Marine Atlantic with respect to this route. This included all the financial reports, all expenses, revenues and subsidies for the years 1992 to expected 1998. I will certainly provide the member with the information that was provided last summer which he apparently does not have.

With respect to the $100,000 he has referred to, another particular study on this route, the request is currently being studied and a decision on that will be made in due course. When the study is completed we will make the results available to the hon. member and every other member of this House.

We are facing tough decisions in Atlantic Canada. It is not helped by the members from the Reform Party who believed in subsidizing roads when it came to the byelection in Labrador and now apparently-

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Etobicoke-Lakeshore.

Status Of Women

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a momentous event begins today in Vancouver. Canadian women will begin a national march. They will be marching across the country and arriving in Ottawa on June 14.

Who is listening? Can I ask the Secretary of State for the Status of Women to please inform this House of what message these women will be bringing to Ottawa?

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

Mr. Speaker, as Secretary of State for the Status of Women, I am very pleased that women are marching across the country for bread and roses, jobs and justice.

When we went to Beijing last year we brought many of the objectives these women are marching for. We agreed in Beijing that there is a role for non-governmental organizations and women's groups to work with government to bring gender issues to the fore. That is why I am very pleased these women are using their role as NGOs to bring forward issues that will promote the equality of women across Canada.

Fisheries

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Gaspé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

Yesterday, over 1,100 people gathered in Tracadie and in the Gaspé Peninsula to condemn the current plan for the snow crab fishery. This plan shows a complete lack of sensitivity to the effects on employment of crew members and plant workers in this industry. In fact, one quarter of them will lose their jobs and three quarters will lose four weeks of work.

Since the crab fishery is being boycotted in the gulf sector, zone 12, is the minister aware of the urgency of the situation and the human drama affecting crew members and plant workers in these regions?

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

Mr. Speaker, the division of the plan was for 16,100 tonnes; 77.5 per cent went to those large midshore crabbers who are behind the strike to which the hon. member refers and 22.5 per cent went to the small inshore fishermen. The difficulty is that the midshore crabbers are not happy with 77.5 per cent. They want 100 per cent.

If there are insensitivities in this plan and if there are any injustices to plant workers, it is not by this House, it is not by the plan. It is by those midshore crabbers who want 100 per cent of the quota and do not want to share with the small boat fishermen.

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Gaspé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that the snow crab plan is missing its target, and one of the main consequences is a further drop in already low incomes. That is what the minister needs to understand.

Can the minister make a formal commitment in this House to respond in the affirmative, as soon as possible, to a request from these workers, who would like to meet with him?