House of Commons Hansard #19 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was fishery.
Andy Scott LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I am very committed to the safety of the officers of Correctional Service Canada.
I visited these facilities. We have discussed these issues and I have every confidence that in the management of the system we are looking after the safety of the inmates.
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
Emergency shelters for the homeless across the country are running out of space and the cold weather has not yet hit. The government has abandoned programs that help the poorest and most vulnerable in society. The cuts have been devastating, including in my own riding of Vancouver East.
Will the minister take responsibility for this crisis of growing homelessness and outline what specific steps his government will take to shelter the homeless?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, no one can remain impervious to the terrible scenes of homelessness. No one can remain impervious to the degradation in which a large number of our fellow citizens find themselves.
As a result the government has consistently refused to engage in scorch and burn policies advocated by others. When we had to cut, which we had to do, we did it in a humane way with plenty of notice. At the same time we engaged in a series of programs such as the child tax benefits and the reinjection of $6 billion into the CHST to enable the provinces and the municipalities—
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough. The government has cut billions of dollars from social programs and thrown in the towel on jobs and housing. Its child tax benefit does not help the poorest of the poor.
When will the minister establish national standards and give real support to ensure that no one goes hungry or homeless because their income has been pushed below survival levels?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, no one, and certainly not this government, wanted to find themselves in the financial difficulty that we found ourselves when we took office. The fact is that if we had not acted our ability now to take positive action to help the people the hon. member is referring to would have been severely circumscribed.
We are now in a position to do that which a Liberal government and a responsible government wants to do. I would simply say that the hon. member ought to read what some of her own people have said. Don't be misled by politicians who make expensive promises. Saskatchewan followed that path in the 1980s and—
David Price Progressive Conservative Compton—Stanstead, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Vanessa , a Dutch owned tanker vessel, just sunk at 1 o'clock Atlantic time. There are 30 people in lifeboats waiting to be rescued. Naval Lieutenant John Larson from the Halifax rescue staff has told my staff “Our helicopters can't go because it is just out of range”.
When are we getting our helicopters?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, with whatever other aircraft we have available and ships that may be available in the area I am sure we will do all we can in terms of that rescue situation.
With respect to the helicopters, I anticipate that we will have this matter brought forward very soon. We are anxious to get on with making sure that the fine, dedicated people who are involved in our search and rescue missions have proper equipment. We want to make sure we get good value for the taxpayers' dollars and that we get the best operational aircraft to carry out search and rescue.
David Price Progressive Conservative Compton—Stanstead, QC
Mr. Speaker, those 30 people are facing eight metre waves out there. Canada is not properly equipped for today's operation. We hope it all goes well and they all get back safely. However we have waited long enough.
I ask the minister of defence again where our helicopters are. When are we going to get them?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, we have a search and rescue operation and we will do all that we possibly can in terms of those 30 people.
Meanwhile we have for some period of time been going through a process of evaluating the proponents for the new search and rescue helicopters. If in fact the member's party had not fouled the matter up previously we might have had something today.
Lynn Myers Liberal Waterloo—Wellington, ON
Mr. Speaker, farmers in my area of Ontario are very concerned about the issue of supply management.
My question is for the minister of agriculture. I want to know exactly what the government plans to do to protect supply management in preparation for the impeding talks at the next World Trade Organization meeting.
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, in the last round of multinational negotiations the government successfully supported and defended the interests of the supply managed sector. We have also very effectively put in place tariff protection for the producers of dairy, egg and poultry products in this country.
We also very effectively and successfully, in co-operation with the producers, processors and the provinces, succeeded in the arguments with the U.S. NAFTA challenge opposing our actions in the dairy, egg and poultry sector.
We will continue to use that as a template as we negotiate and set our strategies and we go forward into future multilateral and bilateral negotiations.
Paul Forseth Reform New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the solicitor general.
The pressure cooker of the Kingston prison is ready to blow: prisoners assault guards without fear of consequence, sue for compensation with 13 prison lawsuits claiming $23 million and guards disciplined if they do not keep the jail quiet. The result is hundreds of unsettled union grievances and perhaps even riots in the making.
Will the minister convince his colleague ministers of the need to take back control of these con run prisons and do what is right rather than what is convenient?
Andy Scott LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I welcome the question because it gives me the opportunity to bring to the attention of everyone the kind of fearmongering that is going on in terms of these institutions.
It is a fearmongering that even the union says does nothing to help the situation.
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the Environment.
In preparation for the Kyoto conference, the federal government is getting ready to redefine its strategy to reduce greenhouse emissions. This morning, we learned that one of the main victims of global warming will be the St. Lawrence River, with all the catastrophic effects that one would expect.
Does the minister admit that Quebec might be at a serious disadvantage because of its inability to agree with Canada's
Christine Stewart LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, this is a national issue and a national challenge but there are national opportunities. There is not one area of the country that will not be negatively affected by the results of climate change.
Canada will be working collaboratively with Quebec and every province of the country to find appropriate resolutions. If we do not, we risk our water, agriculture, fisheries and forests. It is a serious issue.
Gordon Earle NDP Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, Canada's aboriginal peoples are used to hearing a lot of words but seeing very little action from the government which stressed the importance of partnership in the throne speech. Almost one full year after the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples the government has yet to respond. Is that what partnership means to the government?
My question is for the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs. Will the government end its silence and commit to a full and complete public response to the recommendations before the November 21 anniversary of the release of the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples?
Bernard Patry LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, RCAP is one of the most important tools in the department of Indian affairs. There are great needs and great hopes within the first nations.
No one is happy with what is happening right now with the status quo. In the near future we hope to have a full response to RCAP. It is the intention of the government to provide a good response and not just a response. The government wants to address all the problems of the first nation.
Elsie Wayne Progressive Conservative Saint John, NB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.
The shipbuilding industry in Canada operates at an unfair competitive disadvantage as other countries around the world have shipbuilding policies that give them bank loans, equity funding, lease packages and shipyard credit.
The Minister of Industry stated that unless you elected a Liberal none of the priorities for this government would be in the top ten priorities of his department.
Will the minister create a shipbuilding policy that will even the playing field for Canadian shipyards competing against shipyards in foreign countries and help—
John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the lists of advantages that are offered by other shipbuilding countries to their manufacturers very often include very generous and substantial subsidies. Canada continues to participate in the group concerning shipbuilding at the OECD trying to put an end to these unfair subsidies.
If her question is whether I will advocate that our government enter into a subsidy bidding war with these other countries, the answer is no.
Randy White Reform Langley—Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the solicitor general a question but I think I have to ask it of the government House leader.
Could he tell the House the business of the House for the remainder of this week and for the week following.
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the opposition House leader is correct that I am not the solicitor general.
The business for the following days is as follows. Tomorrow the House will consider the customs tariff bill introduced earlier this day. On Monday we will consider a motion to establish a special joint committee to consider the amendment to the Constitution of Canada proposed by the Newfoundland House of Assembly. On Tuesday and Wednesday we will complete any business left from Friday and Monday, followed by Bill C-8, the Yukon bill, Bill C-6, the Mackenzie Valley bill, Bill C-7, the Saguenay Park bill, Bill C-3, the DNA bill, time permitting. Next Thursday shall be an allotted day.
Business Of The HouseOral Question Period
The Speaker
I will now deal with the points of order. The first one is from solicitor general.