Debates of Sept. 17th, 1996

The Television Production Fund

[Gaston Leroux, Bloc, Richmond—Wolfe, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if it is a step in the right direction, here is my supplementary for the minister. Speaking of direction, the new board of directors will, for all practical purposes, be a board of cable companies.

Does the minister realize that as a result, Téléfilm Canada will be run by the cable companies and the decision-making power will be transferred from Montreal to Toronto?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, no, on the contrary. With a new investment of $100 million we were able to produce economic benefits for independent producers, the majority of whom are located in Montreal, to the tune of $650 million. This represents 10,000 jobs in a cultural industry that is just as important in Montreal as it is in Toronto, Vancouver and across the whole country.

Agriculture

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister of agriculture's cherished western grain marketing panel, his very own brain child, published a report that favoured much to the minister's chagrin many reforms that Reformers have suggested all along to modernize the grain marketing system. This was good news for the prairie economy. The bad news is that the minister is sending signals that he will ignore much of the multimillion dollar report.

Does the minister intend to shirk his leadership responsibilities as is his habit by ignoring the recommendations of his own hand picked panel?

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

Mr. Speaker, over the past many months I have listened very carefully to the farmers and others who have views to express on grain marketing.

I would like to refer to an article that appeared in a newspaper in southwestern Saskatchewan earlier this month wherein the author is reporting on a poll that the author has taken. The author writes this: "The most significant results were that 60 per cent of those polled were opposed to wide open dual marketing. Sixty-four per cent opposed the free market of grain by farmers into the United States". On another point the author says: "It is clear that most permit book holders in this constituency wish to retain single desk marketing for wheat". The author is the member of Parliament for Swift Current-Maple Creek-Assiniboia.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[An hon. member]

Unbelievable.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Regina—Wascana, SK]

The hon. gentleman might want to turn around and consult his desk mate. In the meantime, I will listen carefully to all the advice I receive.

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

Mr. Speaker, the member's poll also indicated that the producers supported dual marketing for barley but the minister failed to mention that aspect.

In this House, the minister indicated he put great faith in his hand picked panel, his very own creation. Now he is dropping the panel's report like a ton of bricks.

The minister has led farmers down the garden path by telling them to wait for the panel's results. Now he is signalling that he will choose to ignore the unanimous recommendations of his very own panel. How can the minister justify his costly confusing and indecisive behaviour?

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

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. gentleman is not impressed with the opinions of the member for Swift Current-Maple Creek-Assiniboia, let me refer to another presentation.

In this case the author advises that the first responsibility of the minister of agriculture and the federal government is to democratize the operations of the Canadian Wheat Board. Then the author goes on to suggest that all other questions about marketing ought to be referred to that new board of directors. The author of that document is the member of Parliament for Kindersley-Lloydminster in the presentation he made to the western grain marketing panel.

Bosnian Elections

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Rosedale, ON]

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

Last weekend Bosnians participated in an important election in their country which was watched with great interest by Canadians who are anxious to see a successful implementation of the peace process in that country.

Could the minister please advise the House as to the government's position on the results of those elections and also tell us of the contribution that Canadians have made to that important democratic event?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada is very pleased that we were able to participate in the monitoring of the elections last week. We are very pleased that the voting took place in a positive, non-violent fashion, free from systemic obstruction.

We are hopeful that the Dayton accord can now be confirmed that the international community has to continue to be engaged there to assure this.

As I said, Canada was there, Canada will be there and we are very pleased with the results of the elections.

Goods And Services Tax

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Kingsway, BC]

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

In 1992 and 1994 the Liberal Party and caucus promised to remove the GST from books and other reading material, recognizing the harsh impact of the tax on literacy, on students and on Canadian bookstores and publishing.

In view of the fact that the Liberal government is now actually raising taxes on reading in three Atlantic provinces through harmonization instead of removing the tax on reading across Canada as it promised, I ask the Prime Minister when will this Liberal promise to remove the GST on reading finally be honoured by this government?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows full well, the GST has stayed exactly the same. We have not raised the tax on anything.

As far as the tax on books is concerned, we have indicated that we are open to examine all possibilities. However, in the course of that examination there are a number of questions which must be answered. First, is that the best use of $140 million which is what would be the cost on the one hand? Also, is this the best way to encourage literacy?

Those are the things which we are in the process of taking a look at. We are not going to take a frivolous decision simply to please the hon. member.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of His Excellency G. L. Peiris, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and Deputy Minister of Finance for the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

I know I am supposed to have these things all slotted and under control, but yesterday in the hustle and bustle of everything we had with us the 20th class of our pages.

These are our new pages for 1996 and I would like you to welcome them with me because they are going to be with us as part of our family for the next year.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Privilege

[The Speaker]

Colleagues, I have received a notice concerning a question of privilege from the hon. member for Laurier-Sainte-Marie. It will be followed by a point of order from another hon. member.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the hon. member for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell read out a commercial during Statements by Members. I would point out, incidentally, the contradiction between this hon. member's frequent advocacy of rule of law and his organizing an event in support of those who break the laws of a province. One might say that some people uphold democracy and the rule of law

when it suits them to do so. In French, sometimes the term "fair play" is translated by the word "hypocrisy".

Be that as it may-

[The Speaker]

Order. The word "hypocrisy" is like the other one used today on which I ought to have intervened. I would appreciate your not using the word "hypocrisy", please.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I did not apply it to my colleague. I noted that sometimes it is translated slightly differently.

I would submit that the hon. member's giving out in this House the phone number for and the cost of tickets to the rock concert in support of those who broke Quebec law, plan C, is unacceptable, as otherwise we are running the risk of turning the House of Commons into a giant flea market, or something of the sort, where some people can read out commercials.

[The Speaker]

I thank the hon. member. In my opinion, instead of starting up a little debate here, all that is necessary is to put this to the hon. member.

I give you all kinds of room in your statements in the House and I intend to keep doing that. But where we are sort of advertising for commercial gain, I know all hon. members will keep in mind that these statements are not for commercial gain and I would hope that all hon. members in future would abstain from making remarks where one group or another might be making a few dollars from an announcement made in the House of Commons.

If you would do that, the point is well taken and I would like to leave it there. I do not think we need a response. It is not a point of privilege. I am ruling on that. I hope we do not have any more of that type of commercial in the future.

Point Of Order

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, today the member for Laurier-Sainte-Marie alleged that because Prince Edward Island happens to be smaller than some of the ridings in Quebec it should not be entitled to the same rights and privileges as other provinces in this country. That clearly demonstrates an ignorance of what constitutes Canada-

[The Speaker]

We are getting into points of debate here, opinions on one side or the other. Of course, I always admonish you to be very judicious in your choice of words. I rule that although this is a point of contention it is not a point of order.

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

Mr. Speaker, the member across has invoked something as privilege about making a comment about me. I suppose that defending myself against the accusation would equally constitute a point of privilege.