Debates of May 28th, 1996

Foreign Affairs

[Osvaldo Nunez, Bloc, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as the minister said, Romania asked him to take action regarding this incident. Will the minister intercede with international authorities so that such a tragedy can never happen again?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, there are two levels. First, there are official agreements that we have signed dealing with extradition. The Minister of Justice and his officials are already seized with that aspect of the case. The other is political co-operation where the police, the solicitor general, the Department of Transport and my own department are co-operating fully with the Romanian officials to determine what action might be taken to protect their citizens and to react to this serious case.

We are dealing at the legal level of extradition and at the other level of offering all co-operation to the Romanian authorities.

Flood Damage

[Peter Thalheimer, Liberal, Timmins—Chapleau, ON]

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

In my riding of Timmins-Chapleau flood damage has affected the communities of Chapleau, Foleyet, White River and Timmins. The price tag is growing and our communities and residents in the wake of this natural disaster now must face the consequences.

What can the federal government do to assist the communities in my riding and others in Canada which have been so negatively affected by flood conditions?

[John Richardson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, may I take this opportunity to express the government's concern for the people who have been affected by the floods this spring in the hon. member's riding and the adjacent region.

The provincial government as the lead government is responding to the disaster and has requested help from the federal government in the evacuation of its citizens. The federal government has assigned two Hercules aircraft to evacuate people from the neighbouring area of the hon. member's riding.

Foreign Affairs

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government took extreme measures to seize foreign vessels when turbot were at stake, not to mention votes, but it refuses to act immediately when murder was alleged on the container ship Dubai .

If the Dubai tries to sail from Halifax without the allegations of high seas murders being fully addressed by the RCMP, will the justice minister commit to detaining the Dubai and holding its crew until the investigation is complete?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs has said, we are operating at various levels to see that steps are taken in relation to the tragedy that has been alleged on the high seas.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has been in touch with the chargés d'affaires of other governments. I am standing by to exercise whatever authority I might have in terms of extradition. Transport is busy doing what it can to investigate. We have made it clear to the foreign government that we will do whatever we can to co-operate.

I want the hon. member to know that as much as we deplore and are appalled by the allegations, we do have to respect the rule of law. These events, as alleged, took place in international waters. They involve a Romanian ship and a crew from the Philippines. What is important is for us to respond in accordance with the rule of law and we will do that. It does not mean that we are without remedy but it is a little more complicated. However, I assure the hon. member that we will do whatever we can within the law to see that a remedy is provided.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I do not feel very reassured when it comes to human rights like this that there is very much concern there.

It has been reported that this ship has been operating out of Taiwan. We hear the minister saying that it is owned in Romania. It is owned in Taiwan. It is operated by Maersk Shipping of Madison, Wisconsin.

Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs end this kind of charade we see over there and call Maersk Shipping? The phone number is right here and I can table it. Will the minister ask that the ship be voluntarily held here until the investigation is completed? I have already asked them that.

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the motor vessel Dubai is not going anywhere. Transport Canada has had a look at the ship as a result of comments by the crew. We have determined that there are defects in the main engine exhaust system which causes fume leakage.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Transport.

[David Anderson, Liberal, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the point that the Reform Party seems to forget is that there are legal reasons for detaining this ship and preventing it from leaving. We are exploring every one of those reasons. This ship is not leaving that harbour until we are satisfied.

Justice

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

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

Independence of the judiciary is a cornerstone of our legal system. However, in a case heard before the federal court, an assistant deputy minister from the Department of Justice, Ted Thompson, tried to influence court proceedings through a personal meeting with Chief Justice Isaac of the federal court.

How can the Minister of Justice accept that a senior official of his department would unduly interfere with the legal proceedings, in an attempt to influence the presiding judge?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right to raise this important matter. It is troubling. We have already told the court in the course of the litigation that the Department of Justice regards the meeting that was held as inappropriate and it ought not to have occurred.

In the period since the meeting came to my attention, I have asked the deputy minister to investigate the matter and recommend a course of action. Tomorrow it is my intention to make a statement in this House with respect to our response to the developments.

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

Mr. Speaker, ministers have resigned because of interference in the legal process. There are precedents.

What measures does the minister intend to take to prevent such violations of the law from reoccurring, and does he intend to report to the judicial council the overly conciliatory attitude of Chief Justice Isaac and Mr. Justice Jerome?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I will be making a statement to the House tomorrow with respect to the department's response to these circumstances.

I can tell the hon. member, as has been made clear to the court, I regard the meeting that was held between the justice official and the chief justice as inappropriate. Where counsels are involved in matters before the courts, those counsels should be notified of such meetings and those meetings should not take place without counsels being informed.

In terms of the role of the chief justice or others, I withhold comment on that until I have recommendations from the deputy minister. I will have more to say about the entire subject tomorrow when I make a statement in the House.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, a week ago Friday the minister of agriculture used his cabinet authority and moved immediately to shut down farmers who wanted a fair price for their grain. Yet, when this government was aware that a loophole a mile wide was opened in the Income Tax Act for influential businessmen and family trusts, it intended to hold the barn door open until the last horse had gone through.

The Minister of National Revenue just announced in question period that she has suspended future rulings on the issue, that the deputy minister of finance said it was so simple he did not want to keep notes on it.

Will the minister of revenue appoint a public inquiry today to investigate the circumstances surrounding those two very questionable rulings?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

No, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Speaker, this morning the deputy minister of finance appeared before the finance committee and went through contortions to try to justify a bad ruling that created this tax loophole. In order to justify his position he was giving new tax interpretations off the top of his head, such as all real estate owned by Canadians is now taxable Canadian property.

The Department of Finance and the Department of National Revenue are digging themselves into a bigger hole. What about the Minister of Finance? Will he admit this game has gone too far? Will he plug the leak and call for a public inquiry to investigate the circumstances now?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue has already stated quite clearly that there will be no more advance rulings on this pending the completion of the work of the parliamentary committee.

There is a parliamentary committee. Meetings were held this morning. I am a little surprised the hon. member opposite does not take his responsibilities sufficiently seriously and he does not think that he and his colleagues are able to get at all of the details that are required. We on this side of the House have a great deal of confidence in democracy, the parliamentary system and the finance committee. We think it can do the job.

Canadian Securities Commission

[Judy Bethel, Liberal, Edmonton East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for International Financial Institutions.

Alberta's government wants fair and efficient capital markets and enhanced harmonization of regulatory requirements between provinces. In the speech from the throne our federal government announced that it will work with interested provinces to develop a Canadian securities commission.

How would a Canadian securities commission accommodate the regional differences in capital markets that exist in Canada?

[Doug Peters, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, it is an important issue that regional differences in capital markets are represented in a Canadian securities commission, if one should come about, and we are working at that.

We must remember that a group of provinces initiated the Canadian securities commission idea. The regional differences would be represented by commissioners from the regions. They would be represented by regional offices.

It is important to stress that Canada is the only major country that does not have a national securities commission. In other countries that have those securities commissions there are very strong regional developments.

Hollinger Inc.

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

The recent purchase by Conrad Black's Hollinger Inc. of all Saskatchewan daily newspapers has resulted in a steady drop in quality, a decline in local and balanced reporting and 25 per cent fewer jobs. Since then, Hollinger has increased its Canadian ownership to 53 per cent of all daily newspapers and 42 per cent of circulation.

Will the Prime Minister freeze these recent acquisitions until a complete review of this concentration of ownership and its effects on Canadians can be undertaken by the government through either a royal commission or through a press ownership review board?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I wish the hon. member had included with his question his premise of the legal grounds upon which such an extraordinary measure could be taken. What he does know is that the director of the competition bureau will review the acquisitions with respect to

the impact of the economic concentration of ownership and the transactions will be considered accordingly.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I wish to draw to your attention the presence in the gallery of Mr. Luis Igacio Gomez Gutierrez, Minister of Education of the Republic of Cuba.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.