Debates of May 31st, 1996

Government Contracts

[Ken Epp, Reform, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this is getting absurd.

The Prime Minister promised that we would have an independent ethics counsellor, yet that counsellor reports to the Prime Minister. Now we have this minister standing up in the House to say why he should not be investigated. Where is this going to lead?

If it is the minister who is going to respond to these questions, I am going to ask him specifically: What did this individual do? He got contracts of over $100,000. It would take most people probably two or three years to earn that amount. What did this individual specifically do that would earn him this kind of money and how was that justified?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, again this question has been answered.

The individual concerned assisted with finding a solution to a very difficult matter and then implementing it. Certain individuals by an adjudicator's decision were given benefits to which they were not entitled under the War Veterans Allowance Act which was passed by this House in the 1920s. As a result there was an overpayment of nearly $30 million a year for 10 years. That was unacceptable.

This government reviewed every single spending priority and found that we could not sustain this kind of expenditure because Parliament did not originally intend members of the resistance to get those funds. In fact Canada was the only country paying those particular individuals.

The hon. member is so concerned about the administrative procedures within my budget but can he assure me that his own leader's budget is not being used in the same way? Can he assure me that his leader has not been making similar arrangements with people associated with the Reform Party? We know that at least three defeated Reform candidates are working for members opposite, including the leader of the Reform Party.

Health Care

[Reg Alcock, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are proud of our national health care system. They become concerned when the five principles which guide its operation are threatened.

I understand that an agreement has been reached with the province of Alberta on the issue of user fees in private clinics. I would ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health to tell the House what this agreement will mean for Albertans.

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that an agreement was struck between the Minister of Health for Canada and his counterpart in Alberta.

The agreement is essentially twofold. As of July 1 private clinics will no longer be permitted to bill patients for facility fees for insured services and at the same time bill the province for physicians' fees. The federal deductions in the transfers to Alberta will cease immediately upon this decision.

For Albertans and Canadians everywhere, this means that the Canada Health Act does work and the principles are being upheld because of co-operation between governments. It means the citizens of Alberta are guaranteed access to universally guaranteed medical services.

Employment Centres

[Jean H. Leroux, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

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

As part of the restructuring of employment centres, the Granby CEC, which is located in the riding I have the privilege to represent, saw its staff cut to an extent that is unjustifiable if we compare it to cuts made at the Cowansville CEC, in the neighbouring Liberal riding of Brome-Missisquoi. The Granby centre will now have the same number of employees as the one in Cowansville, although it must serve twice the number of taxpayers.

Although the minister has repeatedly said that the purpose of the restructuring was to improve services, can he tell us the logic behind a decision to allocate the same number of employees to both centres, when one of them serves a population twice as large?

[Douglas Young, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, in the process of restructuring a department and changing service delivery to our clients, decisions are never easy.

However I would like to explain to my hon. colleague, as we have already tried to do on numerous occasions, that we are always ready and willing to provide him with all the information and explanations, either through our director general for Quebec or through officials of my department and myself. We had to take decisions throughout Canada and Quebec, and these are always very difficult. They are never decisions that will please those living in the communities hit the hardest.

As for the purpose of the exercise, we have only one criterion: that is to be certain that, at the end of the exercise, we can provide the necessary services to people. With yesterday's announcement, I hope that we will have strategies in the future that will perhaps improve the situation. But, for the time being, we believe we have acted fairly and equitably, particularly toward our clients.

Immigration

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister responsible for citizenship in Quebec claims that since his province receives half of the refugees to Canada, Ottawa should pay for the services that Quebec provides to them. While many refugees are attracted to Quebec because of the high rate of acceptance of refugee claims in that province, the Quebec government fails to mention that almost half of the immigrants to Quebec leave that province within the first two years.

I ask the minister of immigration to assure the House that federal taxpayers will not end up footing the bill as the separatist forces in Quebec attempt to display some compassion for newcomers to that province.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, it is not unusual for major ports of entry like Montreal to receive a large number of refugees. Much the same occurs in Toronto and Vancouver. It fluctuates among the ports of entry in this country. Immigrants come to all the large centres of the country. Once they are here there is freedom of movement in the country. We do not order people to stay where they have landed. They are allowed to move across the country.

Refugee policy is set by discussions with the provinces, with NGOs and with communities. It is not set in isolation. We have one of the best systems in the world in terms of refugee acceptance.

[An hon. member]

It is the easiest.

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—Woodbine, ON]

If you do not want to listen to the answer, you do not have to.

Agriculture

[John Finlay, Liberal, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food often says, this sector of our economy is living through a period of incredible change. Can the parliamentary secretary tell us what the government is doing to help the industry adapt?

[Jerry Pickard, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian adaptation and rural development fund was announced in the 1995 budget. It really is an excellent example of how the federal government and industry are working together.

The federal government is taking a new approach to the whole problem of working with industry. We are encouraging it to appoint stakeholders in a common way to decide how those rural adaptation dollars will be used in order to benefit the industry.

The Agriculture Adaptation Council, a non-profit coalition of 47 groups in Ontario, has established a fund and is working to make certain Ontario establishes positive movements for adaptation.

Quebec is doing the same thing with two very prominent agricultural groups in Quebec. They have already received funding as well.

Committees Of The House

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I believe you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Transport and one researcher be authorized to travel to Washington, D.C., on June 11, 12 and 13, 1996 to gather information on the creation of a bi-national structure for the St. Lawrence Seaway.

This motion amends the motion adopted previously on May 16, 1996.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)]

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to.)

Government Response To Petitions

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 6 petitions.

Criminal Code

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

for leave to introduce Bill C-291, an act to amend the Criminal Code (prohibited sexual acts).

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce my private member's bill in the House today. The bill would amend the section of the Criminal Code dealing with prohibited sexual acts with children under the age of 14 or in the presence of children under the age 14.

If implemented the bill would raise the age of a child as defined for this purpose from the current age of 14 to 16. In effect, the bill would allow for criminal charges to be brought against any adult who engages in sexual relations with any person younger than age 16.

I urge all members of the House to seriously consider the bill's intent and purpose.

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

Petitions

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by 100 members of the public asking that Parliament consider the advisability of extending benefits or compensation to veterans of the war time merchant navy equal to that enjoyed by veterns of Canada's World War II armed services.

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition signed by 128 constituents from the Chemainus area who call on Parliament not to amend the Constitution as requested by the Government of Newfoundland and to refer the problem of educational reform back to the Government of Newfoundland.

[Bob Ringma, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two final petitions signed by 144 constituents that call on Parliament to refrain from changing the Canadian Human Rights Act to include reference to sexual orientation.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions, one from my riding of Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, calling on Parliament to enact Bill C-205, introduced by the hon. member for Scarborough West, at the earliest opportunity to provide in Canadian law that no criminal profit from a committing a crime. That is signed by 36 people from my riding.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from Canada Indivisible and involves 101 Canadians from across the country who say to Parliament that Canada is indivisible and that the boundaries of Canada, its provinces, territories and waters be modified only by a free vote of all Canadians through the amending formula stipulated in the Canadian Constitution.

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, St. Boniface, MB]

Mr. Speaker, these petitioners want the Government of Canada to refuse to accept the amendment to the Constitution being proposed by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. They believe it is changing the rights of minorities without their consent. They feel that if an amendment is needed it should be brought forward as one that has the support of all of the key stakeholders.

They propose the changes should be tried to the educational system and then and only then if an amendment is required in order to make them go forward that should happen. They also point out there could be an impact in other sectors.

[Jean Payne, Liberal, St. John's West, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition today on behalf of my constituents who call on Parliament to consider the advisability of extending benefits or compensation to veterans of the wartime merchant navy equal to that enjoyed by veterans of Canada's World War II armed services.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition with 128 signatures from constituents in my riding who oppose the government's legislation to include sexual orientation in the human rights bill.