Debates of June 5th, 1996

Employment Insurance

[Ian McClelland, Reform, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, persons with disabilities and groups representing persons with disabilities feel orphaned and vulnerable and have felt that way for some time. They feel that perhaps the minister's department does not have the same commitment to persons with disabilities that he obviously has.

If Canada is not to become a patchwork of standards as it relates to persons with disabilities, federal leadership is absolutely necessary. That leadership has been exemplary for the last 15 or 20 years. We have been world leaders.

As the minister stated, the Canada Health and Social Transfer Act devolves responsibility to the provinces. Will the minister assure the House that he will use his office to ensure that disability related concerns are placed on the agenda at the forthcoming first ministers' conference?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think we have to be very careful when we speak. Whether they are Canadians with disabilities or not, one has to recognize that Canada, as a federation, is very much a patchwork.

Provinces deliver the educational programs made available to Canadians whether they have disabilities or not. The same thing applies to health programs, rehabilitation programs and vocational training programs.

I understand and I hope that we will be able to find a mechanism, in co-operation and consultation with the disabled community, that will allow us to maintain that national visibility, and make sure that these problems are addressed.

The community affected by the changes taking place will also have to make its voice heard by the provincial premiers and their governments. It should not keep coming to the Government of Canada looking for leadership when the services are being delivered to a very large degree by the provinces, as has been the case in the past. We have to make sure we are all working co-operatively to try to find appropriate solutions for the disabled community, and for that matter for all Canadians who have needs in areas where services are delivered by the provinces.

Regional Development

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State responsible for the Federal Office of Regional Development in Quebec.

On several occasions, the City of Saint-Hubert made representations to the minister, including one for the obtention of a fund to promote and maintain employment in the region. We now know that the closing of the land force command headquarters and of the other facilities in Saint-Hubert will result in the loss of 1,400 jobs.

Can the minister tell the House if his government intends to provide a fund to promote and maintain employment in the region, to make up for the negative impact of this closure?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Secretary of State (Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, I did have an opportunity to meet the mayor and some officials of Saint-Hubert, regarding the closure of the base. A number of facilities have been closed across Canada, and it is essentially up to the Department of National Defence to ensure that everything is done in a normal and appropriate fashion for the communities concerned.

During my last meeting with the mayor of Saint-Hubert, I told him we would set up a local investment fund of about $1 million. This investment fund, to be used exclusively to restructure local economic interests, seemed acceptable. Other matters were also raised by the mayor of Saint-Hubert, including payments in lieu of taxes and the fixed assets involve. All these issues are being settled the way they are elsewhere in Canada, with a corporation taking charge of the infrastructures.

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, $1 million is almost a joke. Why is the minister saying he is giving $1 million, considering the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency did not hesitate to grant a $7.5 million fund to make up for the closing of the Cornwallis base, in Nova Scotia?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Secretary of State (Federal Office of Regional Development-Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, closures were made all over the country. Each case was reviewed on its own merits. We took into consideration the location of each base, as well as the impact of its closure on the whole community.

Saint-Hubert is in a very good location, close to Montreal. The investment fund of $1 million which we are setting up will fully serve the needs of the community and will greatly help it face the minor economic impact that may result from the closing of the military base.

Indian Affairs

[Elijah Harper, Liberal, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

There has been a great deal of misunderstanding between First Nations and other Canadians. Often we see unwarranted resentment of basic aboriginal and treaty rights on hunting, education, health and taxation. This government has a responsibility to ensure these issues are presented in a more progressive way.

What is the minister doing to promote understanding, education and awareness of aboriginal peoples in Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, when the hon. member talks about understanding, he is talking about relationships between people. At any given time 15 negotiations are taking place, from the Micmacs of Nova Scotia to the Northwest Territories, as well

as the B.C. treaty process. These negotiations tend to have a life of their own.

Within the last couple of months many encouraging things have happened. The municipalities will sign an agreement with First Nations in Calgary on Monday. This will be a first in Canada. Aboriginal recognition day is to be celebrated June 21. These are people.

The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, which is composed of people, is entering into an agreement with the First Nations of New Brunswick, as is the Toronto-Dominion Bank in Saskatchewan. Business organizations from Montreal are meeting in Kahnawake with the Kahnawake Mohawks in two months. They had the biggest meeting they have ever had with the aboriginal people in Montreal just a couple of months ago.

I commend the member for Rimouski-Témiscouata who is reviving the bill to pardon Louis Riel, a great Canadian leader, half French, half aboriginal. That is the relation that I think is needed and the direction in which we are going and I am quite pleased.

Employment

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have promised job, jobs and more jobs. Now the Prince Rupert grain terminal has announced that it will be shutting down its operations temporarily on June 15, throwing 91 employees out of work.

While the grain terminals cut costs, CN Rail, the Canadian Wheat Board and the Prince Rupert Port Corporation have failed to provide a competitive, efficient service that would see more grain going through Prince Rupert.

Why has the government which is responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, the Prince Rupert Port Corporation and the new Canadian Transportation Act failed to implement efficiencies that would keep Canada's closest grain terminal to the Pacific rim open for business?

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

Mr. Speaker, the principal difficulty affecting Prince Rupert this year is a common difficulty that is affecting all Canadian grain ports and that is, quite frankly, a shortage of supply.

The hon. gentleman will remember that a couple of years ago the predicament was exactly the opposite with a huge volume of grain and congestion in the grain handling and transportation system.

The good news in this situation is that supply and demand have become far more balanced. It is far more favourable from the farmers' point of view. The volumes in Canada at the present time are lower than they have been historically. In fact, around the world grain supplies are probably at a 20-year low. As a result of that, prices have increased dramatically to the farmer's advantage.

The difficulty facing Prince Rupert is that grain supplies are lower now than they have been in a long time.

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is talking about a lot of things, except freight rates, port costs and a few other things which are contributing to this.

Individuals in Prince Rupert are being laid off. Farmers continue to be brow-beaten by this inflexible government. The ministers of agriculture and transport should make the changes necessary to improve transportation so that grain will continue to move through the port.

Why is the government making working Canadians and Prince Rupert pay the price for a government controlled uncompetitive grain transportation system?

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

Mr. Speaker, whatever the marketing system, if the grain supplies are low and the volume of grain is simply not there to move, there is nothing that either the government or the opposition can do to magically increase the volume.

I would point out that we are anticipating a good production season in 1996. We anticipate Canadian grain volumes will be substantially improved. With prices in the world, that is once again good news for farmers.

Recently the House enacted amendments to the legislation pertaining to transportation generally, and grain transportation in particular. Those changes in legislation should improve the regulatory system to make sure that we are evolving toward a system that is faster and cheaper and more efficient and one in which the benefits are fairly shared among farmers, shippers and the railways.

Family Trusts

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

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

In his May 1996 report, the auditor general has brought to light the fact that $2 billion's worth of family trusts had been transferred to the United States free of tax. The Minister of Finance reacted to this report by asking the Standing Committee on Finance to consider amendments that could be made to the Income Tax Act to prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again.

Does the minister acknowledge the fact that all the Standing Committee on Finance has been asked to do is to review the specific provisions of the Income Tax Act mentioned by the auditor general and make recommendations to prevent another scandal?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding, and I am sure yours, that parliamentary committees are the masters of their agendas.

I am glad that the committee is reviewing the file that the hon. member has referenced. We will look forward to the recommendations.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will remind the minister that, while supporting a review of the Income Tax Act, we in the opposition believe we have a duty to shed some light on what government officials did, on December 23, 1991, to help millionaires save on their taxes.

Why does the government object to our lifting the veil that had been cast on the conduct of certain senior government officials, a conduct condemned by the auditor general himself, to put a stop to the flight of capital across the border? What does the government have to hide? Who is it trying to protect?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I will say again that parliamentary committees have full authority to determine their own agendas.

It is my understanding that the finance committee is looking at these aspects as they relate to the Income Tax Act. If there are other issues that are of concern to the members of Parliament and the recommendations that are coming forward, they will be at public accounts committee.

Oath Of Citizenship

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

Mr. Speaker, recently the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration stated that it was the intention of the government to modernize the oath of citizenship.

Most Canadians would agree that the oath should reflect contemporary views of the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship.

Would such an allegiance to Canada be in addition to the current oath of allegiance to Her Majesty or would it replace the oath to Her Majesty?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have received the report of the parliamentary committee on immigration and citizenship. This report contains a large number of recommendations, including one on the oath of allegiance under the Citizenship Act.

We are currently looking at the possibility of updating the oath of allegiance, to bring it into line with our times. Let there be no mistake: our goal is to strengthen Canadian identity and, with this in mind, all options are being considered.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians can accept the premise that new citizens should take an oath of allegiance to Canada. Why limit such an oath to new Canadians?

If the government will require all new Canadian citizens have to take an oath of allegiance to Canada, does it not believe that the members of this House should be required to take an oath of allegiance to Canada as well?

[The Speaker]

I am not sure that question falls under the responsibilities of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. I think we will pass and go to the hon. member for Drummond.

Reproductive Technologies

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on March 13, the minister announced his intention to introduce a complete bill on new reproductive technologies before the summer recess.

To date, the Minister of Health has simply announced a regulation on sperm deposits and has promised a general strategy, but not a bill.

My question is for the Minister of Health. With the report of the Baird commission tabled over two and a half years ago, and the urgent need for legislation, how does the minister explain his inability to draft a bill on reproductive technologies?

[David Dingwall, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question. We will be able to table in the House a bill on new reproductive technologies within two weeks.

Nigeria

[Beryl Gaffney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa.

Reports of attacks on Nigerians working for democratic reform in Nigeria are very disturbing. First, the president-elect has been under detention by the military since 1994 and now, yesterday, the president's wife was gunned down on a street in Lagos.

Could the secretary of state tell the House how the Canadian government is responding to this tragic and brutal slaying?

[Christine Stewart, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, Canada deplores and condemns the assassination of Mrs. Abiola. As my colleague said, her husband is a great democrat who has been in prison in Nigeria since 1994. Her assassination yesterday contributes to the fear and insecurity in that country.

Canada has been insisting that Nigeria return to democracy and respect of human rights. Mrs. Abiola has been a strong fighter, not only for the rights of her husband, but for those of all Nigerians. We send to her family and to all of the supporters of democracy in Nigeria our sincere sympathy.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, this year the Minister of Finance snuck in on the fine print of his budget plan-I refer to the footnote on page 67 of his seniors' benefits booklet-a 20 per cent clawback for middle income seniors. This is a 20 per cent tax. It is on top of the unconscionable rates already imposed on all Canadians by the government, while the Minister of Finance boasts about no new taxes.

Will the Minister of Finance explain why middle income seniors, who built this country and worked hard to secure their retirement, will now find themselves the most heavily taxed people in the country?