Debates of Oct. 2nd, 1997

Mining Industry

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of the House the importance to my riding of a mining project that will create 210 much needed jobs in northern New Brunswick.

This summer, the Breakwater Resources project, evaluated at $54.4 million, made it possible to resume operations at the Caribou mine. New processes enable Breakwater to predict that it will be able to extract more zinc, lead and silver ore from the mine than it produced prior to its closure in 1990.

This mine will, therefore, be a source of ongoing employment for my constituents of Acadie—Bathurst for the next eight years.

The Caribou project clearly highlights the new face of Canadian mining, a high technology industry—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Thunder Bay—Atikokan.

Bombardier

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Atikokan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Bombardier Inc. of Canada, an exporter of quality Canadian technology throughout the world, employs thousands of Canadians.

The Bombardier plant in my riding of Thunder Bay—Atikokan was recently awarded an $81 million contract for 50 commuter cars for New York.

Currently our plant employs 790 employees working on two contracts. One is for 25 bi-level cars for southern California while the other is for 208 subway cars for the Toronto Transit Commission. The plant has even produced rail cars for places as far away as Ankara, Turkey.

Canadians should be proud of Bombardier and of our country's exporting prowess, something this government and all Canadians should continue to support.

Member For Saint John

[Greg Thompson, Progressive Conservative, Charlotte, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer a tribute to the member for Saint John.

Recently the international leader of the Salvation Army, General Paul A. Rader, conferred on the member for Saint John the Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service. This is the highest recognition the Salvation Army awards to a non-Salvationist.

The member's contribution to local and national public service is well known, in particular her years as a very progressive mayor of Saint John. The Salvation Army was pleased to recognize her dedicated and practical service to mankind by awarding her this distinction.

The member for Saint John is only the 57th Canadian to be inducted into the Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service and the first person in Saint John. The award is well deserved and we are very proud of her.

Members of the Salvation Army are here with us today in the gallery and I wish to welcome them to this Chamber.

Foreign Affairs

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it has been a full week since Canadian passports were found on two men believed to be Israeli counterterrorist agents operating in Jordan.

We agree that the world must be vigilant against terrorism but Canadians want some answers on this affair and they want them now. We do not even know who these men are.

My question for the government is are these two men Canadians? Are the passports they were holding valid, forged or stolen?

[David Kilgour, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, it can be confirmed that the two passports are forgeries. There are about six million Canadian passports out at any given time.

The identity of the two individuals has not been determined definitively. We categorically reject any notion that there was collusion between the government of Canada and any other government.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has an obligation to protect the good reputation of Canadians overseas. The maple leaf flag is trusted and our passport is internationally respected.

Our concern is that any use of the Canadian passport to cloak foreign operatives damages the reputation of Canadians abroad and endangers their safety.

Just to be absolutely clear, did the Canadian government know anything at all about the mission in Jordan in which Canadian passports were used? Were any Canadian agencies involved in any way, shape or form in that mission?

[David Kilgour, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, the government shares the concern of the hon. Leader of the Opposition about the reputation of Canada and Canadian difficulties.

We know nothing about any involvement by any Canadian in the matter. We can confirm that the Canadian ambassador to Israel is being brought back to Canada for consultation.

The matter is being treated very seriously. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has met with the crown prince of Jordan today in New York and he will meet with Israeli officials.

As the hon. Leader of the Opposition knows, it is a Jewish holiday and it is very difficult to find people today.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Calgary Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the House the Prime Minister said it would be unacceptable for foreign operatives to use the Canadian passport. Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs even threatened diplomatic retaliation.

All of these are fine words, but where are the actions to prevent the illegal use of Canadian passports no matter how or by whom they are used?

Since the government has done little in the past to quell the illegal use of Canadian passports, what concrete steps will it take to ensure that Canadian passports will not be used illegally in this manner in the future?

[David Kilgour, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Leader of the Opposition will know that the Canadian passports require less visas than perhaps any other passport in the world. It is a very desirable passport for people to have. They may have been forged. They may have been stolen. As I say, there are six million of them out there.

The hon. member knows that the government is taking this matter very seriously.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have travelled extensively and I know the value of the integrity of the Canadian passport.

We are told that there are boxes of these passports being used by other countries. I have just been contacted by a frightened Canadian in Jordan who says that all Canadians are in danger of repercussion. He was told by the Canadian embassy in Jordan to stay indoors for his own safety.

What is the Canadian government doing to protect Canadians travelling abroad?

[David Kilgour, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's point is a very good one. It is a concern to Canadians when anything like this happens.

The member knows that it had nothing to do with the Government of Canada. They could have been stolen. They could have been forged.

We are doing our best and the matter is being taken very seriously.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the very competence of our foreign affairs department is being called into question.

A week after a major incident takes place the government is telling Canadians that it does not really know what is happening. Either that is true or our foreign affairs department is inept.

Which of those two options is true?

[David Kilgour, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, the ambassador from Israel was called in, I believe this morning, to speak to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

We share the member's concern. It is a situation that everyone regrets enormously.

Rcmp Investigations

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Human Resources Development stated that he had warned the RCMP and the Prime Minister's Office last spring of serious allegations concerning a Liberal Party of Canada fund raiser.

I am asking the minister whether he informed the solicitor general at that time.

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, the very day I learned of, or heard of, certain allegations of misappropriation of funds in the matter of which we speak, I immediately informed the RCMP of them, requesting it to investigate, but I did not inform the solicitor general of the day.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the solicitor general told us that he had not been informed of the RCMP investigation, but we know since yesterday what the Minister of Human Resources Development has repeated today, that he informed the RCMP and the PMO that an investigation relating to a fund raiser was under way.

I am asking the solicitor general for an explanation of how the Prime Minister knew, the RCMP knew, his colleague the Minister of Human Resources Development knew, but he in his capacity as solicitor general did not know what the RCMP was doing, when he is the one responsible for it.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, it is very simple. It is not appropriate for the Solicitor General of Canada to be involved in an investigation by the RCMP.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a few months ago, the former solicitor general explained in this House, in relation to the Airbus affair, that the way the system works, the first thing that happens when there is an investigation is that the RCMP informs the solicitor general, who then decides whether it is appropriate to advise the Prime Minister's office.

Since the system provides for the RCMP to inform the solicitor general, how can he stand up and tell us, as he did yesterday, that he was not informed?

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I can say it very clearly because I was not informed.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is an investigation that implicates the Liberal Party of Canada, implicates ministers and goes right to the heart of the matter of government integrity.

Does the solicitor general still contend that he was not informed by the RCMP because they did not feel it was appropriate to let him know about an investigation into the government's integrity?

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, it was not that it was felt unnecessary. It was felt inappropriate.

Job Creation

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

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

During the election campaign, the Prime Minister promised job creation would be a priority. In February, the Minister of Finance said interest rates had to be lower to promote job creation, but yesterday the same minister supported the Bank of Canada's decision to increase interest rates.

How many young people will be forced into unemployment before this government realizes that the real cause of the crisis is not inflation but the lack of jobs?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

As you know, Mr. Speaker, job creation has been quite strong in the past five or six months, but it now has to be maintained, which means sustained and sustainable growth.

To this end, yesterday, the Bank of Canada took its foot off the gas every so slightly so it would not have to hit the brakes too hard down the road.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, unemployment is 9 percent, where it has been for seven lean years, and inflation is 1.8 percent. Before the election when inflation was 2.2 percent the finance minister said there were no inflationary pressures in Canada. Now the finance minister wants to choke off the bit of hope the unemployed have.

How can the minister justify a policy that condemns 1.4 million Canadians to continuing unemployment?