Debates of Oct. 20th, 1997

Option Canada

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

The recent supreme court ruling on Quebec's referendum legislation confirms the need to strike a balance between the spending of the “yes” camp and the spending of the “no” camp, as well as the need to limit spending by other parties involved in the referendum.

In light of this ruling, how can the heritage minister justify the over $9 million spent by Option Canada and the Council for Canadian Unity, money from her department, let us not forget, while the referendum was in full swing?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, my answer today to the question about the money given to Option Canada is exactly the same as the answer I gave last spring.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

She no longer remembers her answer.

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the minister does not remember.

Since early October , the minister has had in her possession an internal audit report regarding these large amounts. Is she going to release it to the public without delay so that we may know, once and for all, to what use this money, which I repeat was from her own department?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, my answer regarding the money spent by Option Canada is exactly the same as that given by the Government of Quebec regarding Option Quebec.

Somalia Inquiry

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the aftermath of the Somalia report is far from over.

The defence minister knows there is a coverup in his department. The information commissioner, the privacy commissioner, the Somalia commissioners tell of deliberate attempts to hide the truth from the public, yet this minister tossed aside the one recommendation in the Somalia report which would have cleaned up the whole mess.

Why is the minister afraid of creating an accountable, independent inspector general? What is he hiding?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Nothing is being hidden, Mr. Speaker. In fact we want more open and transparent operations. In the response to the Somalia inquiry report we indicated that there will be six new annual reports that will be made public and will be available to Parliament so it will be able to scrutinize what is happening in the Canadian forces.

We did not agree with one specific recommendation. We agreed with 83% of the recommendations. But even on the one on the inspector general, we put in place alternate forms of creating full accountability, fairness, open and transparent operations.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that those reports will end up in the lap of the minister. The defence minister has a responsibility to prove to Canadians that his department is accountable. National defence gets one bad report card after another and what does the minister do? He turns a blind eye. Our troops deserve better.

Why will the minister not create an office of an inspector general and force his department to account to Parliament? Is the minister afraid of someone looking over his shoulder maybe?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be accountable to this Parliament for the Canadian forces and for any problems we have as well.

We do not need a super structure. We have put in place an independent ombudsman and an independent external grievance board procedure. We have put civilian oversight in place in many different aspects of the Canadian forces which is going to provide the kind of accountability the hon. member is talking about.

Singer Retirees

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

Last December he said he was in a hurry to finally resolve the matter of the former workers of the Singer company. He seemed to be prepared to recognize the urgency of acting on humanitarian grounds.

How is it that this matter has not yet been resolved, despite the minister's fine promises and given the advanced age of the aggrieved workers?

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

Mr. Speaker we have always recognized the extreme delicacy and difficulty of the situation involving the Singer workers. And if we are today before the courts, it is not my doing. What I said was that our department would work as hard as it could to clarify the situation under our responsibility as quickly as possible. So we are not holding things up, as the hon. member knows very well.

The Singer pensioners are receiving and have received exactly the amounts due under the Annuities Act, including all accumulated interest and the benefits of a 7% rate increase.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Saint-Jean.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister knows very well also that the route through the courts could take six or seven years. In the case of the Singer workers, whose average age is 82, this means there will be no one left at the end of the line. The employees are aware of this too, because they proposed a settlement out of court to the minister.

In the light of the very modest out of court settlement proposed by the former Singer workers last spring, and given the humanitarian aspect of the issue, why does the minister not resolve it in the next few days with the former Singer workers on the basis of what they proposed to him last December?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government's responsibility was simply to administer the money entrusted to it. In the situation before us we risk creating a precedent, and my responsibility as minister is to ensure that the pension plan is managed according to the relevant laws and with regard to the rights of all the parties involved.

The government cannot go beyond this responsibility right now, and this is why we are taking this action now. It seems to me the most responsible approach in terms of the country as a whole.

The Environment

[Bill Gilmour, Reform, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this December in Kyoto, Japan a legally binding treaty will be signed to set reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. We have less than two months to go, yet Canadians have no idea of the government's position.

On the one hand the environment minister has warned Canadians to be ready for “drastic measures.” On the other she announced that we will try to negotiate a special, softer deal for Canada. Canadians want and expect straight answers.

Will the minister clearly state the position Canada will take to Kyoto this December?

[Christine Stewart, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the question which is very serious for all Canadians.

Canada has agreed that we will negotiate medium term, legally binding targets for the Kyoto, Japan meeting in December.

In my four months in office, I have been crossing this country from coast to coast to coast meeting with partners who must come together to agree on exactly what Canada's position will be. In the international forum, Canada is taking a role of trying to find a large consensus in the international community so that we do have a strong, firm and legally—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Nanaimo—Alberni.

[Bill Gilmour, Reform, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the global warming treaty has major economic ramifications for Canada. Canadians have a right to know our position and medium term answers do not give us the specifics we need. Our governments are sending mixed messages all over the place. The U.S. president is openly consulting Americans. Our prime minister and environment minister have not been actively consulting Canadians. The provinces have been left out of the formula.

Will the minister ensure that all the provinces are in agreement before, not after, the agreement is signed in Kyoto?

[Christine Stewart, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct the erroneous impression that provinces have not been consulted. I have met with all of my provincial counterparts to discuss this issue of climate change. I will be meeting with them in a telephone conference call on Wednesday of this week. They are engaged with me on this issue. Addressing climate change will incur costs for all Canadians. I would like everybody to understand that not taking action will also incur serious costs for Canadians.

Security In Government Buildings

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Public Works.

Last weekend, the facilities put at the disposal of the Bloc Quebecois for its research, documentation and communication services were visited, searched and broken into for the second time in less than four months.

How can the minister justify that the building which houses the Bloc Quebecois' research, documentation and communication services is one the very few government buildings around Parliament that is not constantly protected by security guards?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the building in question, at least where the offices are located, belongs to the House of Commons and, as spokesperson for the Board of Internal Economy, I, like all members, am sorry such a break-in occurred.

I understand that, earlier today, House of Commons officials already took measures to improve security. If it is the hon. member's wish, we can again raise the issue with the Board of Internal Economy to implement other necessary measures.

Human Rights

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this is a question directed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

As this House knows, the Prime Minister of Canada is in Russia today. Recently the Russian parliament passed legislation which will significantly disenfranchise religious minority groups other than Russian Orthodox. This is a clear affront to those who believe in religious freedom, human rights and democratic values.

What action if any is Canada prepared to communicate its displeasure at this action taken by the Russian parliament?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I can report to the House that in the discussions that the prime minister has had with the president, the prime minister and the speakers of the Russian houses, the matter has been directly raised with them expressing our concern that the legislation does discriminate. We will continue to take the matter in front of the OSC tribunal on human rights to make sure that we have proper observation and protect the rights of religious minorities in Russia.

Mefloquine

[John Cummins, Reform, Delta—South Richmond, BC]

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

Canadian troops in Somalia were administered the experimental drug mefloquine. DND got the antimalarial drug because it agreed to participate in a safety monitoring study. It ignored its commitment.

Has the minister taken any action against either the manufacturer who is responsible for supervising the safety monitoring study or the military who acted illegally in prescribing the drug?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the facts are not yet clear. As the member should know, efforts are being undertaken at the moment to determine the facts of the matter.

I can tell the hon. member that at the time the drug was put in use, those responsible for supplying it believed on the evidence at the moment and in good faith that it was appropriate for the indicated conditions.

The responsible thing to do is to await the outcome of the investigations which, as the hon. member should know, are continuing.