Debates of June 11th, 1996

Haitian Police Force

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, of those 30 people, 20 have been given employment by the Haitian government in a variety of security activities.

The problem is that the Haitian government does not accept dual nationality. It passed an act of their parliament subsequent to the training of the Canadian Haitians who hold dual passports.

We raised the matter when we were in Haiti and we are trying to resolve it with the Haitian government. In the meantime, of those 30 people, 20 have been hired in security activities.

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I remind the minister that Canada invested close to $2 million in the training of these police officers. The minister just told us that a number of these young officers were hired by the Haitian government. But there remains a number of them, in which thousands and even millions of dollars were invested.

What does the minister intend to do to put the money invested in the training of these police officers to good use, until they are fully integrated into the Haitian force?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, at the present time the Canadian government, with the active co-operation of many municipalities, such as the Ville de Laval and the community of Montreal, have provided police officers for Haiti and are providing very good training and support. They are a great credit to their country and are of great assistance in the redevelopment of the Haitian civil police service. Those are the kinds of contributions we want to make, to use the experiences of our police forces to help the Haitians develop their national force.

In the meantime we are negotiating with the Haitian government to try and ensure that those who did receive the training have access. Already 20 have been given security jobs. The Haitian

parliament passed an act after the training took place. Now we have to get their parliament to change that act.

I think the hon. member knows the situation. It is not that easy to insist that Haiti pass retroactive legislation when it is struggling to provide for its own development. We will keep working on the file.

Canadian Wheat Board

[Elwin Hermanson, Reform, Kindersley—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Wheat Board is currently holding a conference in Saskatoon on adding value to prairie cereal grains. The potential for value added products for grain is great, but in reality the Canadian Wheat Board continues to kill value added by making farmers go through the costly and time consuming exercise of buying back their grain from the board to sell to processors.

Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food quit stalling and make changes now to the Canadian Wheat Board that will remove the roadblocks to establishing more milling, malting and other value added processing across the prairies, creating real jobs and real economic growth?

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

Mr. Speaker, members of the Reform Party have asked a number of questions in the past, indicating their opposition to the Canadian Wheat Board. Those questions have been answered, but they appear to be impervious to logic.

Let me try another tack. I would like to quote the May 9 edition of the Manitoba Co-Operator and particularly remarks made by Mr. Ken Beswick, a former commissioner of the Canadian Wheat Board who recently resigned. Mr. Beswick said: ``I am in no way saying the board is not an effective marketer. I think that it is among the best in the world at marketing grain. It stands toe to toe with the heavyweights out there in the global environment. And I think from my window at the board I would not advocate the elimination of single desk selling''.

[Elwin Hermanson, Reform, Kindersley—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the minister must not have heard my question. I was talking about some roadblocks and he got off on another topic all together.

His department has announced a magic scheme to encourage value added processing on the prairies by offering to help the agriculture sector create business plans. Well, it is the minister who needs the business plan.

Prairie farmers have to buy their own grain back at Minneapolis spot prices in order to sell to millers and maltsters down the road.

Why does the minister not force the Canadian Wheat Board to use its own forecasted final prices as the basis for grain sales to local markets, or better yet, let producers sell outside the board to millers?

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

Mr. Speaker, I take from the hon. member's preamble that he has now conceded the basic point about single desk selling.

The hon. gentleman should review the submissions made to the Western Grain Marketing Panel by the Millers and Bakers Association of Canada. It supported the Canadian Wheat Board before the Western Grain Marketing Panel.

It is possible that some new and more flexible ways can be devised in terms of pricing mechanisms pertaining to the Canadian Wheat Board. I will very anxiously await the advice of the Western Grain Marketing Panel at the end of this month. When we have its report we will each be in a better position to make sound decisions for the long term, rather than constantly jumping the gun like the knee-jerk Reformers.

First Ministers Conference

[Audrey McLaughlin, NDP, Yukon, YT]

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

June 21 is the first ministers conference. It is also National Aboriginal Day. It is therefore all the more ironic that the leaders of the First Nations have been excluded from the first ministers meeting.

Especially now that the Constitution is on the agenda, I ask the Acting Prime Minister what justification there possibly can be now for excluding those leaders of First Nations.

[Ron Irwin, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, as I understand the meeting, there will not be items dealt with specific to aboriginal people.

The Prime Minister sent out a letter yesterday or today inviting the First Nations leadership to a meeting preceding the conference with specific ministers and for a post-conference briefing after the meeting of June 21.

Mexico

[Sarkis Assadourian, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

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

Canadians are very interested in the visit of the president of Mexico. Can the minister report to the House what initiatives have

been taken to strengthen our relationship with the people and the Government of Mexico?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question.

Today a number of ministers of the government met with their counterparts to put the final touches on a quite complex and broadly based declaration of objectives that will be presented to the Prime Minister and the president tomorrow.

It represents quite a unique undertaking between two countries, with the setting out of a blueprint of action covering a wide variety of topics. It sets out a real work plan for our two countries to get together on a wide variety of topics.

It is something very distinctive and demonstrates a new maturity of our relationship with Mexico.

Columbia River Treaty Permanent Engineering Board

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I am pleased to table in both official languages the annual report of the Columbia River Treaty Permanent Engineering Board to the governments of the United States and Canada for the period dated October 1, 1994 to September 30, 1995.

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 four petitions.

Committees Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 21st report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership and associate membership of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.

If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 21st report later this day.

Criminal Code

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

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-45, an act to amend the Criminal Code (judicial review of parole ineligibility) and another act.

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

Canada Elections Act

[Tony Ianno, Liberal, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-301, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act.

Mr. Speaker, this private member's bill introduces the opportunity for Elections Canada to create a permanent voters list which I think will enhance the opportunities of saving money and also create the opportunity to reduce the potential time period for the general elections.

In today's age of computerization and the different levels of government, municipal, provincial and federal, that have the opportunity of having the information in their systems already, I think it will enhance the accuracy and ability to use it and reduce the cost for all concerned.

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

Committees Of The House

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

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 21st report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to.)

Petitions

[Anna Terrana, Liberal, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today I have three petitions to present. The first one is from Victoria, B.C.

These residents object to criminals profiting from their crimes and ask Parliament to enact Bill C-205 as soon as possible.

[Anna Terrana, Liberal, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from Canadians from B.C. and Ontario who call on Parliament to consider the advisability of extending benefits of compensation to veterans of the wartime merchant navy equal to those enjoyed by veterans of Canada's World War II armed services.

[Anna Terrana, Liberal, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition is from residents of B.C. who call on Parliament to refrain from implementing a tax on health and dental benefits and to put on hold any future consideration of such a tax until a complete review of the tax system and how it impacts on the health of Canadians has been undertaken.

[Ian McClelland, Reform, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased on behalf of the hon. member for Edmonton Southeast to present two petitions today signed mainly by residents of Edmonton Southeast.

The petitioners pray and request that Parliament oppose any amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act or any other federal legislation that would provide for the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present three petitions.

The petitioners request that the Canadian Human Rights Act not be amended to include the phrase sexual orientation as a prohibited ground of discrimination or to amend the charter of rights and freedoms to indicate societal approval of same sex relationships.

[Jim Karygiannis, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have another petition from Armenians in my riding who request that Parliament change its policy of indifference toward the Armenian genocide and promote efforts to persuade the Republic of Turkey to recognize its crimes against humanity.

[Charlie Penson, Reform, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have before me three petitions.

The first has been signed by 66 people from my riding. It calls on Parliament to refrain from implementing a tax on health and dental benefits and to put on hold any future considerations of such a tax.

[Charlie Penson, Reform, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by 199 constituents and requests that Parliament oppose any amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act or any other federal legislation which would provide for the inclusion of the phrase sexual orientation.

The petitioners remind me that it has come a little late to this House, but it is in the other place and hopefully this will be considered.

The third petition is signed by 50 Canadians from my riding of Peace River and it has the same request, that the human rights act not be amended.