Debates of May 30th, 1996

Coast Guard

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

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

The Coast Guard is now holding consultations regarding fees for pleasure craft. The pretext is water safety, but it is clear that the Coast Guard's real objective is to recover $14 million, the objective set by the Minister of Finance in the budget, from recreational boaters.

Will the minister confirm that the Coast Guard intends to impose fees that could go as high as $35 for each pleasure craft, including rowboats, canoes and pedal boats?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure why there is applause. The hon. member would agree that his party has constantly been after the coast guard to ensure that we recover fees, do what is proper, have services at the right level and charge the right fees for the right services.

He also would agree that safety is paramount in boating and that there will be a requirement for safety which will address the serious loss of life we have in every province of the country.

While the final decision has not been made in response to the recreational boating community, we will proceed to ensure safety is achieved. There will be a price but the price has not been determined yet.

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a distinction should perhaps be made between a rowboat and a real pleasure craft.

How can the minister justify imposing fees on pleasure craft sailing on lakes and rivers where the Coast Guard does not provide any service to them, that is to say, the vast majority of lakes and rivers in Quebec and in Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is precisely because there may not be enough search and rescue services in the area to cover every single boat, recreational and of every size, in Canada that it is the responsibility of the coast guard to make sure safety is maintained.

It is precisely for the reason that the hon. member brought forward that we will ensure proper instruction is given and proper safety precautions are taken so that search and rescue facilities can be used for those areas which include the open seas and a number of larger vessels so that for the smaller vessels the inherent safety that would be instilled would act as a control mechanism. This is in response to the recreational boaters.

Taxation

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, a couple of months ago the finance minister suggested there would be no new taxes in his budget. It was kind of the Canadian equivalent of "read my lips".

Yesterday we pointed out the minister's harmonization agreement would mean a 100 per cent increase in the GST cost on gasoline in Atlantic Canadian provinces that have harmonized. That would work out to an average of $4.30 for a tank of gasoline in Atlantic Canada.

Can the finance minister explain how this 100 per cent increase in the GST on gas meets his promise of revenue neutrality found on page 22 of the red book?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is simply wrong. There is no increase in the GST. The GST rate of 7 per cent stays the same and it applies to the same base. The member is simply wrong.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I think the minister should explain that to the people who will be paying that much more when they purchase gas in Atlantic Canada once this agreement kicks into place.

The Government of Nova Scotia has pointed out in its budget document that consumers will pay $84 million more once this agreement comes into effect.

Considering there is only one taxpayer in the country, not two for every level of government, will the minister explain to people how this extra $84 million in taxes meets his two-month old promise that there would be no new taxes as he suggested at budget time?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite has an enormous amount of difficulty understanding the obvious. There is no increase in the federal tax. The federal tax stays the same and it applies to exactly the same base.

There will be across the board reductions in Atlantic Canada in the rate, which has been set out at between 4 per cent and 5 per cent. The overall rate to the consumer as a result of substantial savings to small and medium size businesses will mean a lower rate to consumers.

Yesterday the hon. member stood up in the House and basically said the increase in gasoline taxes we have seen over the course of the last couple of months were due to the harmonization agreement. I pointed out to him the harmonization agreement has not taken effect and that it was very difficult to blame increases in gas taxes a month ago on an agreement to take place in the future.

There seems to be a desire that I sit down, but I have a great deal of difficulty-

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

Energy Sector

[Paul Steckle, Liberal, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Natural Resources.

The minister recently returned from a trip to Asia during which she participated in discussions on energy issues. Can the minister explain to the House how this trip will benefit the Canadian economy?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member rightly points out that I did visit the Asia-Pacific area over the past week and a half. The reason I did so is that area provides significant opportunities for Canadian private sector energy companies.

If we look at this region, energy needs are growing at the rate of 11 per cent or 12 per cent per annum. In this country we have expertise, be it in relation to coal, hydro, natural gas or the nuclear industry, which will permit these economies to continue to develop over the coming years.

In this country we understand energy. We have goods, services, equipment and technologies to sell. That was the purpose of my trip.

Francophones Outside Quebec

[Jean-Paul Marchand, Bloc, Québec-Est, QC]

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

In August 1994, in Moncton, the Prime Minister solemnly announced that 27 federal agencies would prepare action plans to meet the needs of francophones living outside Quebec. This week, the Commissioner of Official Languages concluded that the government had not delivered. So much for the Prime Minister's solemn promises.

How long will the Prime Minister continue to pretend to be doing something for francophones living outside Quebec? Is he waiting for them all to be assimilated?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Acting Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc member seems to forget that the Canadian government has programs to support minorities, not only francophones outside Quebec, but anglophones in Quebec as well.

The government made a very firm commitment to implement sections 41 and 42 of the Official Languages Act. During the year that just ended, efforts were made by every department concerned by sections 41 and 42 of the Official Languages Act.

[Jean-Paul Marchand, Bloc, Québec-Est, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the Prime Minister himself does not rise to defend his solemn promises, leaving the task to the heritage minister. Her department did not do much to implement section 41. The Prime Minister should read the commissioner's report.

Assimilation of francophones is on the rise. In fact, the number of young francophones living outside Quebec dropped 35 per cent over a 20 year period. Just last week, Statistics Canada confirmed that one third of young francophones had become anglicised.

My question is for the Prime Minister. What will the Prime Minister do? What will it take for the Prime Minister to finally admit that the situation is critical?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is very rare that I do not rise to answer questions. The first thing we do to protect French speaking minorities is to ensure that they will enjoy the support of Quebec francophones by keeping Quebec in Canada. Indeed, should separation be achieved, francophones outside Quebec would be hardest hit of all francophones in America.

We will continue to apply the Official Languages Act. We will support the Commissioner of Official Languages, unlike Bloc Quebecois members who said last week that he was incompetent, but who are now using his recommendations to attack the government. The best way to help francophones outside Quebec is to ensure that the French language has its place not only in Quebec, but everywhere in Canada.

Immigration

[Val Meredith, Reform, Surrey—White Rock—South Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, while various ministers in the government are talking tough about two suspected Russian illegals who have been in custody for the past week, it is clear these two individuals will not be deported any time soon without their consent.

If these two suspected Russian spies choose to pursue all available appeals they may be able to delay their deportation for years and then seek to stay in Canada on compassionate grounds.

Is the minister of immigration prepared to take definitive action to remove these individuals from Canada or will they be permitted to defer their deportation indefinitely?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Acting Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that all the provisions of the act concerning this type of individual and this type of activity taking place in Canada will be enforced.

As everyone knows, this case was before the federal court yesterday and has now been referred to an immigration inquiry. Efforts are continuing, but I can assure members of this House that we are going to rely on every last section in the act that will allow us to take action in this type of case.

[Val Meredith, Reform, Surrey—White Rock—South Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for almost three years the government has repeatedly claimed there is nothing wrong with the current immigration system. Yet it is apparent that it prevents Canada from deporting individuals who are a threat to Canada's national security.

Is the minister of immigration satisfied with these laws that afford more protection to terrorists, criminals and spies than they do for the Canadian public?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Acting Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that this government will not tolerate the presence of criminals in Canada as possible immigrants, that is very clear.

However, I would like to deplore the fact that every time the Reform Party brings up the subject of immigration, it is to cite specific problems involving crime and to give the whole immigration system a bad name. And this is not the case, for we have a reputable immigration system, in Canada.

Human Rights

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

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

Recently I had occasion to meet with Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta who is the spokesperson for the East Timorese. I was made aware in the course of the meeting of a letter sent by the Minister of Foreign Affairs when he was on the opposition side. He called on the Conservative government to halt military exports and foreign aid to Indonesia in protest of the treatment of the leader of the East Timorese and the human rights violations in that country.

Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell the House whether he is prepared to live up to the commitments he made while he was in opposition? Will he declare an arms embargo and a halt to foreign aid to Indonesia until such time as the leader of the East Timorese is freed and human rights violations stop in that country? Is he prepared to work toward an international arms embargo against Indonesia until they smarten up in East Timor?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, let me first point out that on several occasions members of this government have raised the issue of human rights in East Timor. The Prime Minister when he was there last summer took the occasion to make the Canadian concerns well known.

As far as arms exports are concerned, I would suggest that we probably have the toughest arms export guidelines and controls of any developed country. We intend to apply them exactly as they are meant to be applied, which is very strictly according to the letter of the law.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of a very special group of young people. In this House we have been honoured to have our peacekeepers. We have been honoured to have our astronauts and our Nobel laureates. Today we get to see some of the young heroes of Canada.

We have the honour today of welcoming an extraordinary group of young people. They have battled illness and overcome terrible injuries through their courage and their tenacity.

These brave-yes, I use that word-these brave young Canadians are the Children's Miracle Network Champions. They have overcome great hurdles and have beaten the odds. They are symbols of courage and determination, and of the strength of the human spirit.

I will introduce them to you, my colleagues, but I ask you to withhold your applause until I have introduced them all. Before I introduce them, I want you to know that they are accompanied by two outstanding individuals whom we know well: Olympic champion Mark Tewksbury, and Rick Hansen, athlete, activist and an inspiration to Canadians.

The names of our young heroes are: Pamela Rundell, Jordan Sharkey, Andrea Crowe, Tonya Schweigert, Christopher Stephens, Karlee Kosolofski, Matthew Wells, Gillian McCarthy, Sierra Harrold and Patrick Waterman.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

My colleagues, these, our young Canadian champions, are joined by their parents and friends. I, along with the Prime Minister, will be receiving them at a reception in Room 216. I invite all who can come to join us next door for a few minutes to meet these young heroes. This will take place at 3.10 p.m.

Business Of The House

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know what the government's legislative agenda will be over the coming days.