House of Commons Hansard #55 of the 35th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was referendum.

Topics

JusticeOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

The Speaker

I as the hon. member to put his question forthwith.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Reform

Art Hanger Reform Calgary Northeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, why is the minister disguising the glaring truth that Thompson's interference with a judge must have been made with the consent of the justice minister?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, no amount of emotive language, no accusatory tone and no misstatement of the facts will be sufficient to overcome the simple facts of this matter.

The simple facts which confront the hon. member are these. Mr. Ted Thompson went to see the chief justice. He followed up with correspondence to which the chief justice responded. That correspondence was put into the hands of counsel for the three parties in the revocation cases as soon as it came to the notice of the officials of the justice department. A motion was then brought before the court. That motion resulted in an argument and judgment has been reserved.

In the meantime I have taken steps through the appointment of a third party with an impeccable reputation to look at the facts and make a report which I will put before the House.

Those are the facts and the hon. member should pay attention to those facts before holding forth here for narrow partisan purposes.

Goods And Services TaxOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, the new premier of British Columbia, Glen Clark, clearly indicated that he is strongly opposed to the GST harmonization agreement between the Canadian government and the maritime provinces. Consequently, British Columbia joins with Quebec, Ontario and Alberta to oppose this partisan political agreement.

Will the Minister of Finance finally recognize that his GST harmonization project, including the payment of almost $1 billion in political compensation to the maritime provinces, is unacceptable to a majority of Canadians, as was indicated to him by the premiers of the four most densely populated provinces?

Goods And Services TaxOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is well aware, the compensation is paid to the Atlantic Provinces for a transition period, which will expire four years from now. It is shared among these provinces and is part of a basic overhaul of the way these regional economies will manage the future.

The hon. member cannot be against a policy that will make the provinces more competitive. We can be proud of dealing with problems in this way instead of simply throwing money around, implementing megaprojects or making politics the way things were done in the olden days.

Goods And Services TaxOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is the only one who is proud of this partisan political agreement with the maritime provinces. The premiers of four of the most densely populated provinces in Canada rejected it out of hand.

If the minister is unable to manage this ill-advised agreement, he should leave this issue to the first ministers and have it on the agenda of the next first ministers' conference.

Goods And Services TaxOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's position does not make sense. Even the Quebec Minister of Finance congratulated the maritime provinces because

in agreeing to harmonize their taxes they will help eastern Canada as a whole, including Quebec.

This is an economic issue and, as the secretary of state said last Friday, we will discuss it, it will be on the agenda of the finance ministers' conference in June. In fact, that is the appropriate place for such a discussion.

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

John Cummins Reform Delta, BC

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

For weeks now the minister has been denying he was cutting the B.C. salmon fleet in half so that he could reallocated fish to natives. Now we know the truth.

Yesterday while a commercial fleet remained tied up the minister allowed a native only commercial fishery to begin in the Alberni Canal. Why has the minister consistently denied cutting the fleet to free up fish for natives when this is precisely what happened this weekend?

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Fred Mifflin LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, it is incredible the hon. member would put a question like that to the House.

The salmon revitalization plan was addressed to revitalize the commercial fishing industry in British Columbia, and it is doing exactly that. We do not have the final figures yet.

With regard to the aboriginal fishery, there is no intent whatsoever to do anything with the Pacific salmon revitalization plan other than to revitalize the industry. Any other motive the hon. member or his party would want to attribute to it I think is totally wrong and despicable.

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

John Cummins Reform Delta, BC

Mr. Speaker, the intent of the minister's actions is quite clear. What is also clear is that on May 17 the minister's own department said there were not enough fish for commercial harvest in the Alberni inlet. Two weeks later there are enough fish for 14 days of almost continuous native fishing.

B.C. fishermen have long suspected that the minister does not give a hoot about them or the fish. Now they can be sure of it. Why are the livelihoods of B.C. fishermen and the very fish they rely on being sacrificed to make way for an expanded native only fishery?

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Fred Mifflin LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, what is clear to this House is that the hon. member is trying to cloud the issues with total irrelevancies and with statements that really do not stand the test at all of what is going on.

His suggestion that this government would put forward a plan to favour one sector of the fishery over the other flies in the face of the facts. Despite his party's intonations, we have two honourable gentleman who have a lot of credibility in the industry who are looking into the allocation, intersectoral and intrasectoral.

I have to tell the hon. member he is wrong now, he was wrong in the past and he will be wrong in the future if he continues with these kind of uncomplimentary statements to the whole industry.

NewspapersOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Suzanne Tremblay Bloc Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC

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

Last Friday, when replying to questions to the government about the concentration of ownership of the newspapers, the Secretary of State for the Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec simply used the Competition Act as an excuse to justify the government's inaction.

Given that one corporation could take over almost 70 per cent of all newspapers in Canada, what is the Minister of Industry planning to do to ensure some balance between financial interests and the right to public information?

NewspapersOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, this is a strange formulation for a question. While the hon. member suggests that the answer provided on Friday was hiding behind the Competition Act, I would suggest to her it is the Competition Act within which we would find our powers and our ability to act, if it were so desired.

The balance she suggests, which indeed may be one in favour of which she can argue, is not a balance which is found within the Competition Act itself. If she reads the law itself she will find that the Competition Act, based on the decisions of the courts, deals with the economic interests and the concentration of ownership as it would impact on competition, within the framework of the business of newspaper publishing in this case.

Content itself is not a factor which the director of investigation research in the competition bureau is capable of considering.

NewspapersOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Suzanne Tremblay Bloc Rimouski—Témiscouata, QC

Mr. Speaker, since Conrad Black acquired Southam, the main publishers in Quebec agree that the future of the Canadian Press is at stake.

Will the Minister of Industry intervene, not only through the Bureau of Competition, but directly with Southam and Hollinger, so that these corporations maintain the job level within the Canadian Press?

NewspapersOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, again this is a government of laws, not of people whose opinions may or may not be of interest.

Under what authority does the hon. member suggest we should act? I suggest to her there is no authority in the Competition Act for us to consider the implications with respect to editorial content or journalistic opinion arising from this transaction. There are issues related to economic concentration and the director will look at those.

Does she really think governments should decide whether or not editorial content in the national newspapers reflects adequately the opinions that should be there? For my part I do not think the editors agree with us often enough, but that is not for me to say.

Oil And Gas IndustryOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Andy Mitchell Liberal Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Natural Resources are in Fort McMurray today participating in the announcement of new investments in the oil sands.

Would the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources tell this House how the projects being undertaken will benefit the Canadian economy and in particular help in the creation of new employment?

Oil And Gas IndustryOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Dauphin—Swan River Manitoba

Liberal

Marlene Cowling LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Natural Resources

Mr. Speaker, the oil sands development will be a major boost to employment and economic growth in Alberta and right across Canada. It will create one million person years of employment during construction and 44,000 permanent jobs.

This Liberal government is creating the economic space and climate for oil sands development to occur. This Liberal government is again bringing good news for economic growth and jobs in this country.

Raw Milk CheeseOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

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

During the hearings of the travelling committee set up by the Department of Health to review its rules on raw milk, physicians who happen to be public health experts questioned the risk analysis made by the Department, considering it as incomplete.

How can the Minister justify having gotten involved in this business without having the complete analyses allowing him to do so?

Raw Milk CheeseOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Cape Breton—East Richmond Nova Scotia

Liberal

David Dingwall LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will know that the regulation was published some time ago, before I assumed the responsibilities as Minister of Health. In the interim a number of consultations are taking place not only in the province of Quebec but across the country.

Also a group of experts met in late May and will meet again in early July to examine all of the evidence and information which comes forward. We will be in a position to move one way, positively or negatively, with regard to the regulation.

Let it be clear that there is no banning of any raw milk cheese products in the province of Quebec or elsewhere in the country. This is a regulation which has been gazetted. Meaningful consultations are taking place and they will continue to take place until such time as they are complete.

Raw Milk CheeseOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have a supplementary question. Now that we know that the Minister had no serious analysis on which to base his decision to take action, will he back down and leave these producers of raw milk cheese in peace?

Raw Milk CheeseOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Cape Breton—East Richmond Nova Scotia

Liberal

David Dingwall LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I have much admiration for the hon. member but let it be clear that the information was provided through the auspices of gazetting on March 30. The purpose of gazetting it was for individuals not only in the industry, but also for experts to examine very thoroughly all of that information.

We have yet to receive the report of the group in the province of Quebec who are examining this particular issue. As the minister in the province of Quebec has said on public record, there are some difficulties as it relates to various special interest groups in that province and elsewhere.

I think it is only prudent that we examine all of the information, both favourable and unfavourable. Then we will be in a position to make our final determination.

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Jack Frazer Reform Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, access to information documents show that DND's special investigation unit, the SIU, has been following, videotaping and eavesdropping on its civilian employees.

Several years ago the SIU was stripped of its criminal investigative function when a judge found it had abused its powers. Why is the SIU still up to its old tricks?

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, members should know that the department accepted hon. Justice Marin's recommendations and all investigations are now the responsibility of the military police. The special investigation unit no longer initiates or conducts such investigations. However, it does have specialized equipment and is able to use it in support of the military police. I emphasize in support of the military police. Even these activities are fully consistent with Canadian law, including the Criminal Code and the Privacy Act.

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Jack Frazer Reform Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, yet again it seems that DND is running the minister rather than vice versa.

Judge René Marin warned the minister about a serious problem of accountability in the military police. The minister knew the potential for abuse but has failed to rein in his department. Now questions are being raised about serious violations of Canadians' right to privacy.

Will the minister explain why the SIU has not ceased criminal investigations as DND promised six years ago? Will he now assure us that the SIU will immediately stop doing so?

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of National Defence and Minister of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I answered the question. The SIU no longer initiates or conducts criminal investigations. However, it still exists and that was one of the recommendations of Justice Marin. It still exists but its activities are in support of authorized military police investigations which are consistent with Canadian law.