Debates of June 10th, 1996

Criminal Code

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice has not moved to eliminate section 745 of the Criminal Code that allows first degree murderers the right to appeal after only serving 15 years of a life sentence. Since we have come to this House Reformers have been asking for the repeal of this section.

Will the justice minister introduce legislation to repeal this section of the Criminal Code?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, I have responded repeatedly to his questions and the questions of others by saying that I do not believe that the repeal of section 745 is appropriate.

I have also said that I believe strongly that changes could be made to section 745 to address some of the real problems with the section, some of the issues that have arisen. We have been speaking with, we have been listening to, we have been analysing the comments of a wide variety of people, not just my hon. col-

league-I know his views on the subject-but also judges, prosecutors, defence counsel, victims and victims rights groups.

The government will shortly introduce measures to strengthen and improve section 745 of the Criminal Code. I hope when we do that we will have the support of the hon. member and his party.

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is encouraging to hear that the minister is going to move on this very important subject.

Will the minister assure the House that the passage of the legislation to which he has referred is not just a half measure like so much of his legislation has been, and that it will be introduced in time to deny Clifford Olson the opportunity to appeal his parole before August 12 of this year?

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

Mr. Speaker, in order to determine whether something is a half measure, one would have to know pretty well what the extremes are. I do not think we will take the hon. member's position on these issues as a point of reference for this party.

I will not refer to any specific case, any specific crime or offender because we do not legislate in respect of individual cases. That is not the policy of the government. Our interest is in a process with integrity which serves the interests of the Canadian people, which ensures safety in society. In that regard we intend to propose changes to section 745 which will strengthen it and improve the process.

We will move shortly in that regard and I hope we will have the support of the hon. member when we do so.

Canadian Flag

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Acting Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Following the last Quebec referendum, the panic-stricken federal government launched a vast propaganda operation to flood the country, including Quebec, with Canadian flags. At a time when the federal government has a duty to manage taxpayers' money in a responsible manner, it is wasting that money in a contradictory and irresponsible way.

How can the heritage minister explain that, because of the federal government's sheer folly to flood Quebec with Canadian flags, an ordinary citizen can manage to get up to 26,000 of these flags?

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

Mr. Speaker, as you know, the former Minister of Canadian Heritage launched a campaign so that, on February 15, 1997, one million flags will fly in Canada. Why not, Mr. Speaker? Why not be proud to belong to this great country of ours?

We encourage every Canadian to fly our flag and, as part of the ongoing campaign, one flag is given to every household. There is no question of giving 20,000 to the same household.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of Canadian Heritage not find it indecent that, while her colleague, the Minister of Natural Resources, is forced, because of a lack of money, to cut $7.2 million from the tokamak project, which is a job creating initiative in Quebec, her own department is spending more than $7 million in an inconsiderate way to buy kites and flags?

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not find it indecent at all that sponsors from the private sector support the flag promotion campaign and provide financial support so that we can reach our objective of one million flags by next year.

Tourism

[Brenda Chamberlain, Liberal, Guelph—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue.

Tourists from the United States are major contributors to the economic growth of Canada and of Guelph-Wellington. I would like the minister to tell me what she is doing to improve access, facilitate and encourage United States tourists to come to Canada.

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, the government does understand the importance to our economy of tourism and business travel. At Revenue Canada we are constantly looking for ways to expedite and make it easier for low risk travellers to Canada to get here without compromising our commitment to safe homes and streets.

I am pleased to announce that last week we identified two new programs, CANPASS for private boats and private aircraft which will extend to low risk travellers the benefits of a preapproved permit and a telephone reporting system to help expedite them through customs and immigration without compromising the security of our communities.

Revenue Canada is committed to achieving the smart border. It is programs like these that will make sure we achieve that goal.

Seniors

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has stated the government stands four square behind seniors. Yet he proposed in the budget to tax middle income seniors at a rate 20 per cent higher than millionaires and billionaires in the country.

To the minister of human resources, does standing four square behind seniors mean helping them or squeezing taxes out of them so they bleed?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate the hon. member is not paying attention to the process going on across the country. A group of people, including a member of Parliament who has been heading the hearings, has been meeting with provincial colleagues, with interveners and discussing the future of the Canada pension plan.

The hon. member suggested that somehow the government is looking at squeezing one group more than another. The whole idea of the Canada pension plan is that it works for everyone.

We know how the Reform Party would like to squeeze seniors. It would like to get rid of all pension plans and have people go to mandatory RRSPs. That would be the big squeeze.

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

Mr. Speaker, it seems the minister has not read the budget tabled by the Minister of Finance. The budget says that on top of normal taxation middle income seniors will pay an additional 20 per cent clawback on their income. That is an extra 20 per cent from this government.

I want to know why this government thinks that attacking seniors who built this country is the way to solve the senior citizens' crisis on pensions.

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has a unique way of looking at a situation that allows for the recovery of taxation from an individual with a certain level of income.

It is pretty hard to clawback middle income seniors and not affect people at the higher end of the scale. I am sure the hon. member in the wisdom he and his party exhibited over the weekend would find a way to achieve even that.

Aids

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

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

At the llth international AIDS conference in Vancouver, next July 7 to 12, over 5,000 scientific papers will be presented. For the international scientific community, advances in knowledge and research are holding out hope that AIDS can be transformed from a fatal illness into one that is chronic. But the state of research in Canada is looking quite a bit bleaker.

Can the Prime minister confirm the allegations of the Medical Research Council of Canada to the effect that there is now no longer a cent available for basic AIDS research in Canada?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, if I understand the question from the hon. member, the Government of Canada has provided moneys for the AIDS issue fully funded for fiscal years 1996-97 and 1997-98.

We are in the process of doing some very extensive consultations with a variety of different groups, particularly some of those involved in research.

Later this day I have round table discussions with some of the experts throughout the country on the Medical Research Council and the role it plays in terms of funding for various diseases and a variety of different items.

I assure the hon. member it is the intention of the government to, where resources are available, assist all those organizations in getting sufficient moneys for the purposes of research.

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think the Medical Research Council can be all wrong.

Does the minister not find this situation disgraceful, and what does he intend to do to correct it, knowing that Canada ranks third among G-7 countries for the rate of HIV infection, but that it comes in dead last in HIV research?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should not get off course with rhetoric. We in Canada have been very successful in managing the amount of moneys we have relating to the whole AIDS issue.

If the hon. member is asking whether more moneys can be made available and whether it is necessary to get additional moneys, I would be the first to say yes, but we have to work on a balanced approach in terms of the money that is available.

I hope to further consultations with a variety of interest groups associated with the AIDS file in order to come up with additional

dollars and a further focused approach in order to find cures as well as prevention measures to work for that community.

Immigration

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it has been revealed the immigration minister granted more than 1,500 special entry permits to dangerous criminals last year. Rapists, suspected terrorists, murderers and drunk drivers who were initially denied entry into Canada or who were ordered deported now live here with the minister's personal blessing.

Front line immigration officers advised against admitting criminals into Canada and the previous immigration minister refused to listen.

What assurances will the minister give to Canadians that there will not be repeat violations of the act and that criminals will be shut out of the country?

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

Mr. Speaker, as you know, this is not a new question, because each year the citizenship and immigration minister must table an annual report here in the House regarding ministerial permits issued.

I would like to point out that, since 1990, there was a 73 per cent drop in the number of ministerial permits issued by various immigration officials and that they are issued only after a very serious case study has been carried out, and for various reasons.

For example, it can be for strictly technical reasons, medical reasons, or because an individual has committed a reprehensible act several years earlier, but we are confident the person will not do so in Canada. In short, with each passing year, we have become more restrictive, and it is very clear that each time a decision is made, it is for humanitarian reasons.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want input into immigration policy. Instead they get another minister with her head buried in the sand and an immigration policy designed and driven by special interests.

In addition to the 1,500 special entry passes granted to criminals, 44 permits were issued to people previously deported, 10 more were given to individuals suspected of terrorism and another 395 passes were granted to those who posed a health risk to others.

By issuing the permits, the minister has violated section 19 of the Immigration Act. Why did the minister violate the Immigration Act, thereby compromising the internal security and the public health of Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I repeat, these permits are issued on a temporary basis for humanitarian reasons. I wonder who is burying its head in the sand, when members of the Reform Party are writing almost weekly requesting that people be admitted.

I have examples here. The member for Beaver River and the member for Okanagan are asking us to admit to Canada people not eligible under our legislation. But in Canada, we are very humane, very welcoming, contrary to what the Reform member is saying.

Small Business

[Bonnie Brown, Liberal, Oakville—Milton, ON]

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

In response to a request from the Standing Committee on Industry, the Canadian Bankers Association has now provided a report on the relationship between the banks and small and medium size enterprises.

How will this report assist our government to make sure small businesses have the financial services they need in order to flourish, to grow and to create new jobs?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, since the time of the election the government has identified small and medium size businesses as the sector of the economy where most of the potential job growth lies. It has been very important to deal with the issues the small business community has been bringing to us. I suppose at the top of that list would be access to financing.

Repeatedly we have heard it needs access to financing not only from governments but particularly from Canada's chartered banks. The industry committee asked for the Canadian Bankers Association to come forward with a baseline study which will enable us to understand exactly what that relationship looks like today and begin to pursue the policies that will ensure that in the future the small and medium size businesses of Canada have the level of capital they need, both debt and equity, in order to create the jobs Canadians are looking for.

Refloating The Irving Whale

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

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

The second attempt at refloating the Irving Whale has now begun. It is essential, in case a spill occurs, that the company have adequate insurance to cover the cost of environmental damage. But on page 43 of the last environmental assessment report, dated March 1996, one reads that, as of now, the company's insurance policy does not cover PCBs.

Can the minister certify that insurance contracts have been revised and now cover PCBs. If so, can the minister table these contracts in the House as soon as possible to reassure the public?