Debates of May 3rd, 1996

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, 70 per cent of the workers at CBC are set to strike. They listen to the government when it says it is committed to stable multi-year funding for the CBC, but management knows better.

The Liberals do not keep their promises because in spite of their so-called commitment the government's 1996 budget and main estimates cut almost $400 million from CBC funding.

Will the minister admit the government has not kept its promise, is sowing discontent and confusion at the CBC bargaining table and has no long term plan for the CBC?

[Guy Arseneault, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. It gives me an opportunity to clear the air.

There were no new cuts announced in this year's budget for the CBC. The government has announced its long term plans for CBC with regard to funding. Almost a billion dollars in funding, $800 million within the next fiscal year, which has been allotted to CBC is plenty of money for it to operate.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, by comparison with the Liberals, the Reform Party policy is clear and consistent on the CBC. We call for the privatization of the CBC.

In spite of spending $2.5 million trying to come up with this funding on the wasted Juneau report, Liberals are still going ahead with the $400 million in cuts. They are getting into privatization through the back door, and the union knows it because its jobs are being contracted out to private industry.

Why will the parliamentary secretary not admit the government is doing privatization at the CBC in spite of the fact it is saying it is not, and this without public debate?

[Guy Arseneault, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, we well know the policy of the Reform Party with regard to the CBC. It wants to gut it completely. It wants to eliminate it.

The government has committed CBC funding for the next number of years on a long term basis. We have committed to responding to the Juneau report in the very near future. We have committed to helping our cultural industries and there will be a cultural fund set up that all cultural industries will be able to access.

I can honestly say in this regard when it comes to the Reform Party talking about cuts, here it is on one side complaining we are not cutting enough and all of a sudden it is complaining we are cutting too much.

Indian Affairs

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Serious problems have for some time disrupted the peaceful life of the Lake Barriere community. The troubles there are quite serious. The school is still closed, people are leaving their homes and the community is torn apart.

Could the minister or his parliamentary secretary tell the House what efforts the government is making to bring back harmony within the Lake Barriere community?

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. Last November, the Lake Barriere community chose an interim band council by petition. This interim band council was given the mandate by the community to write down the band's custom for the purpose of ratifying it. Once ratified, the custom would be used to elect new leaders.

But a group opposed to this interim band council has control over the road to the reservation, which is the reason why the school was closed. Considering the continuing stalemate, the dissenting group asked for the help of a mediator, which the interim band council also agreed to on April 25. I can announce today to the House that both parties have agreed on the choice of a mediator, whose role will be essentially to work with band members to develop an electoral code.

Rcmp

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labour, who seems eager to reply.

On November 17, 1994, during debate at second reading on Bill C-58 dealing with labour relations whithin the RCMP, the Minister of Labour declared: "the purpose amendments do not change the status of the RCMP. They only confirm the status it had prior to the

Federal Court decision". However, the Sims report says exactly the opposite: "the bill will have a major impact on the rigths of management and members or the RCMP".

The minister clearly contradicted Mr. Sims' analysis. Therefore, is he prepared to review his position and allow members of the RCMP to form a union and to undertake collective bargaining, like their provincial and municipal counterparts?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to remind the Hon. members that the Sims' report was tabled at the end of January and the bill he alluded to was introduced a year earlier.

During consultations on the Sims' report, in Toronto, I had the pleasure of meeting representatives of the RCMP. They made representations about their desire to come under the Canada Labour Code. I took note of their representations. I have completed consultations on the issue, and I am in the process of preparing my report to cabinet on amendments to part I of the Canada Labour Code. I am sure that when I have completed this task, the Hon. member will be able to learn the outcome, and he can then comment on it.

Edmonton Institution For Women

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is on the Edmonton women's prison.

The eye in the sky camera was not in place when it opened. The electronic door locks never worked and were never repaired. The alarm systems have never worked properly. Security specialists were not involved until just last week. Residents were promised that maximum security prisoners would never be held there. This is a terrible embarrassment for the government.

My question is for the acting solicitor general. Why were maximum security prisoners transferred to a prison like this?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is true we have encountered difficulties at that facility.

I told the House earlier this week that through discussions between the Solicitor General of Canada and Attorney General Evans of Alberta arrangements have been made to transfer inmates to a provincial facility.

Steps are being taken to overcome difficulties at the federal Edmonton facility to address some of the security items to which the hon. member referred. We are hopeful that in due course the facility will be ready to return to its function, housing inmates in accordance with the law.

Railways

[Vic Althouse, NDP, Mackenzie, SK]

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

In the government's original offer for the sale of grain hopper cars it said it would consider all proposals put forward for the acquisition of the cars and that the government would take into account the interests of producers, shippers and railways.

Since then the committee was told yesterday that the transport department has already protected the interests of the railways in an agreement signed between the federal government and the railways in 1993, which is said to give the railways not only the right of first refusal in terms of any sale but also a virtual veto over who can get the cars if the railways decide not to exercise that first right.

Can the minister tell the House and the bidders from farmer groups why their bids must be subject to that previously secret arrangement? Will he table the federal government railways operating agreement so everyone can know what the rules really are?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in the remaining minute of question period it is difficult to deal with the hour I spent with the committee earlier this week, which apparently the hon. member did not bother to attend. It is difficult in one minute.

Let me try to point out to him that shippers, that is the people who move grain, the producers, the railways and other groups such as pension funds that might want to invest in a transportation system will all have the opportunity to bid on the hopper cars when the time comes for us to dispose of them.

We will have open bidding. Obviously we have put restrictions on this to protect western shippers and western grain growers, to ensure there is an efficient transportation system. Nothing could be more damaging to the western producer and the western shipper than to have the railways in such a situation where they cannot meet costs and thus will continue to operate or use equipment which is inefficient or not in the best of condition.

The rail system in western Canada is run under adverse climatic and geographic conditions. We have to make sure we have an efficient system in the interests of the producers and the shippers-

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

I want to save enough time for one last question.

Air Pollution

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Saint-Denis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during the 1980s, air issues dominated the political agenda as governments joined together to tackle the problem of acid rain.

Today, the focus on air issues should be equally important as new evidence links air pollution to increased cases of respiratory diseases like asthma, which is a growing problem in my riding of Saint-Denis and in all of Montreal.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment tell the House what this government is doing to continue to focus political attention on these crucial air issues?

[Karen Kraft Sloan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for her question.

This week I had the pleasure of participating in the clean air conference in Saint John, New Brunswick. This conference was hosted by Premier McKenna. It was organized for the premiers of eastern Canada as well as the governors of New England states. Both areas have common air pollution problems as the source of the air pollution comes from southern Ontario and the eastern United States.

As the the member stated, air pollution contributes to human health concerns. The federal government is committed both nationally and internationally to working on solving this problem.

Among many initiatives we are specifically working to strengthen the Canada-

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

I apologize to all of you, but this concludes question period for today.

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 response to eight petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Russell MacLellan, Liberal, Cape Breton—The Sydneys, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Human Rights and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

In accordance with its order of reference of Wednesday, May 1, 1996, your committee has considered Bill C-33, an act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act, and has agreed to report it without amendment.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership and associate membership of various committees.

If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 15th report later this day.

Agricultural Marketing Programs Act

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-34, an act to establish programs for the marketing of agricultural products, to repeal the Agricultural Products Board Act, the Agricultural Products Cooperative Marketing Act, the Advance Payments for Crops Act and the Prairie Grain Advance Payments Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts.

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

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, for the information of the House and in accordance with Standing Order 73(1), it is the intention of the government that this bill be referred to a committee before second reading.

Statutory Instruments Act

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-278, an act to amend the Statutory Instruments Act (disallowance procedure for delegated and subordinate legislation).

Mr. Speaker, I actually have three private members' bills to introduce.

The first bill I wish to introduce today, an act to amend the Statutory Instruments Act, would establish a statutory disallowance procedure that would be applicable to all subordinate and delegated legislation subject to review and scrutiny by the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations.

In doing so, the bill would ensure that Parliament will have the opportunity to disallow any statutory instrument made pursuant to authority delegated by Parliament.

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

Canada Elections Act

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-279, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act (electronic voting).

Mr. Speaker, this bill would amend the Canada Elections Act by permitting electronic voting and recognizes that the technology of today puts many tools at our beck and call and one of them could be used for voting.

The bill provides for electronic voting by touch tone telephone as an alternative to casting a written ballot. Those wishing to vote electronically would still be enumerated and would apply to vote electronically. Having done so, they would be given a PIN number and then could vote electronically using their touch telephone.

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

Debt Servicing And Reduction Account Act

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-280, an act to amend an act to amend the Debt Servicing and Reduction Account Act (gifts to the Crown).

Mr. Speaker, this bill involves gifts to the crown, particularly when someone makes a donation to the debt servicing and reduction account. Presently it is a bit of smoke and mirrors and tends to result in a reduction of the deficit.

This bill would cause the crown to keep the money in a special account where it must stay until such time as the budget was balanced and it could then be used for debt reduction.

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

Employment Insurance Act

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it was not possible to reach an agreement pursuant to Standing Orders 78(1) and 78(2) with respect to the proceedings at report stage and at third reading of Bill C-12, an act respecting employment insurance in Canada.

Therefore, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the House, pursuant to Standing Order 78(3), a minister of the crown will be moving a time allocation motion for the purpose of allotting a specified number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at that stage.