House of Commons Hansard #18 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was co-operatives.
Jean Charest Progressive Conservative Sherbrooke, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister will know how important it is to actually be able to implement the agreement in Kyoto.
Will the minister today inform us of what will be the Canadian position and whether or not the Canadian position will also include a comprehensive approach which allows Canada to take credit for efforts that we allow, that we enable, in developing countries with respect to reducing CO2 emissions?
Christine Stewart LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, an important element of Canada's negotiating position is to try to put in place the banking of credit. That is one element of the framework in which we will place our targets and time lines.
Frankly, with respect, when we made our commitment in Rio in 1992 we really were not enough aware of what we had to do to achieve our target.
We were not realistic at the time. We hope that through negotiations with all our partners we can come to realistic, achievable targets in Kyoto, Japan.
Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB
Mr. Speaker, I used to be a teacher and I know a lot about doing homework. I have done my homework today. I want to tell the House that if any Liberals are convicted of influence peddling it is more than the principal's office they are going to be heading to; that is for sure.
It is an undisputed fact that the company of Raymond, Chabot wrote cheques for $87,000 to the Liberal Party. It is also undisputed that it received CIDA contracts for $20 million.
Let me ask a question of the minister of public works. Which came first, the cash to the Liberals or the contracts from the Liberals?
Diane Marleau LiberalMinister for International Cooperation and Minister responsible for Francophonie
Mr. Speaker, is this the time for irresponsible innuendo from the Reform Party? I believe it is.
I do not know that this question deserves an answer.
Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB
Mr. Speaker, hopefully this should be the time for a responsible government to say what the responsibilities of government are and how some of these crazy things are happening.
Last night at a Reform dinner people paid money, got a good meal and a good speech. If it were a Liberal fund-raiser they would have got a meal, a speech and a nice big juicy contract for dessert.
Last night we were speaking to the national director of the Liberals, Terry Mercer, who said that we could get the information about the dates of these donations from Elections Canada. They deny even having this information.
Let me ask the minister of public works again because it is under his domain—
Caroline St-Hilaire Bloc Longueuil, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.
In the matter of the agreement between France and Canada on child support payment enforcement, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs interpreted France's consultation with the federal government as repudiation. It is, however, nothing of the sort. It was part of the usual process, and the French embassy confirmed that point very clearly.
I would like to know whether the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs realizes that he is on the wrong track and that by delaying the approval of this agreement, he is hampering the efforts made by a number of women to collect their child support payments from residents of France?
France-Quebec Agreement On Collection Of Support PaymentsOral Question Period
Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec
Liberal
Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I wish to withdraw what I said earlier. I did not say that the member for Beauharnois—Salaberry had not lied.
France-Quebec Agreement On Collection Of Support PaymentsOral Question Period
An hon. member
Answer the question.
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
I will now answer the question. No foreign government wants to find itself in a situation of having to reveal to Canadian federal authorities the content of an agreement it is to sign with a Canadian province. This, however, is the situation that Mr. Bouchard's government placed France in, by refusing request after request to inform us of the content of the agreement.
Caroline St-Hilaire Bloc Longueuil, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister should withdraw a number of words. On a whim, the minister is causing women to suffer.
Will the minister admit that he is so keen to put the Government of Quebec under the thumb of the federal government that he is making flagrant errors of judgment by refusing to honour the commitment that there would be no objection to the conclusion of an agreement between France and Quebec?
France-Quebec Agreement On Collection Of Support PaymentsOral Question Period
Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec
Liberal
Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, we have to come up with an agreement that provides Quebeckers with good services.
Thus, with the aim of signing an enforceable agreement, which therefore, in the opinion of both governments—the Canadian and the French governments—must be done within the rules of the Canada-France agreement, the Government of Quebec is invited to negotiate in good faith with the Government of Canada.
Bill Gilmour Reform Nanaimo—Alberni, BC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the environment minister did not deny that the Kyoto treaty would cost Canadians 10¢, 20¢ or 30¢ more per litre of gasoline.
Today we would like the minister to tell Canadians how much more they will be paying to heat their homes this winter. Will it be $100, $200 or $300 more?
Christine Stewart LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, to set the record straight, I said nothing about what it would cost individual Canadians to deal with this very important issue.
I did say that this is an issue when it comes to determining measures that will be done in consultation with all key players and the Canadian public. They will be aware of what is required to meet our target.
Bill Gilmour Reform Nanaimo—Alberni, BC
Mr. Speaker, this is exactly the problem. The government is saying nothing about this issue.
The Liberal government will bankrupt Canadians with massive tax grabs. We hear about dialogue with the provinces. Yes, the provinces will sit at the table, but the minister has not answered the question that has been asked four times in the House.
Will she answer it now? Is the minister prepared to guarantee that all provinces will be on side before the Liberal tax grab treaty is signed in Kyoto?
Christine Stewart LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, my provincial counterparts are aware of the fact that Canada is committed to legally binding targets in Kyoto. They know that I am in dialogue with them.
There are opportunities associated with what Canada will do. I would like to put another quote on the floor, this time from a chief executive of General Motors who says “We at General Motors are not afraid of a Kyoto summit. We welcome it because there will be global dialogue on a global problem. That's good but it means all of us have to sacrifice”.
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC
Mr. Speaker, because a government refused to listen to the Bloc Quebecois members when its anti-tobacco legislation was being passed, it is now in the process of compromising the survival of the Montreal Grand Prix.
The clock is ticking for sports and cultural events, and I would therefore ask the Minister of Health the following question: When will his anti-tobacco legislation be amended? What are you waiting for, Mr. Minister?
Tobacco LegislationOral Question Period
The Speaker
I would remind my colleagues to always address the Chair.
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, as I said last week, we are in the process of preparing an amendment to the tobacco legislation. It is our intention to honour the commitment we made several months ago, and the amendment will be tabled when we are ready.
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC
Mr. Speaker, at the present time, some major projects have been suspended at the Montreal Grand Prix site and those involved say that the Grand Prix will be finished, after 1998.
Does the minister realize that the delay resulting from his inaction is causing irreparable damage to the survival of the Montreal Grand Prix?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, it is not helpful for the hon. member to put matters in those terms. I assure him that I have been involved in careful and methodical consultations with the people involved in Formula I in the Grand Prix, and we intend fully to respect the commitment we made some months ago. We will table the legislation when we are in a position to do so.
Myron Thompson Reform Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the solicitor general said that he is not running the parole system. He later on said he is accountable for the national parole system. Which is it?
Andy Scott LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate very much not only the content but the tone of the question.
The national parole board operates independently and at arm's length from the government. The Government of Canada and the solicitor general are accountable for the decisions but we do not make them.
Myron Thompson Reform Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, we will give him another day to think about an answer to that one.
Yesterday the minister said the parole system is running itself, that it is motivated by public interest and the interest of public safety.
Could the minister please explain releasing Larry Takahashi, a convicted serial rapist, when police are saying that he is a significant danger to society. How in the world can he explain that it is in the interest of public safety that he be released?
Andy Scott LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, it is in the interest of public safety to gradually in a controlled way release inmates from the system, because the vast majority of people leave the system. It is that simple.
The success rate in terms of recidivism is much better in the case of a controlled and gradual release. That is a fact.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health cannot remain indifferent to the problems his anti-tobacco legislation is causing promoters of cultural and sporting events in Quebec, who have been left without a leg to stand on.
In light of the ambiguous statements made by the government during the last election campaign, could the minister tell us whether the changes to the anti-tobacco legislation promised by the Prime Minister apply only to the Montreal Grand Prix or to all cultural and sporting events jeopardized by this legislation?