Debates of Oct. 24th, 1997

Search And Rescue

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, the parliamentary secretary surely knows that the capability of refuelling was available with the C-130 and that capability is available today if we had the right helicopter.

For cheap political points the Liberal government has placed people's lives in jeopardy. The decision is four years overdue. Our pilots will only fly this government's helicopters as high as they want to fall.

When will the government support our search and rescue personnel and buy the equipment they need?

[John Richardson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, they can huff and puff but they won't blow the house down. The fact is the helicopters are on line. The announcement will be made imminently. The hon. member knows that.

Vcn Marine Radio

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-De-La-Madeleine—Pabok, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister responsible for the Coast Guard.

There are all sorts of rumours rampant at present concerning the Magdalen Islands marine radio service. Yesterday, while regional authorities of his department were notifying employees on the islands of their relocation, the minister was telling me that his department had not reached a decision.

Can the parliamentary secretary assure us in this House, in order to dispel the rumours and reassure both the pilots and the people of the Magdalen Islands, that Fisheries and Oceans has not made a decision to move or close the Islands radio station?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, I want to inform the member that we are not closing the station but rather it will be operated from Rivière-au-Renard. There will be no change in the level of service to the fishermen in the area. In fact we have established that safety will remain a priority for those fishermen involved.

Government Contracts

[Eugène Bellemare, Liberal, Carleton—Gloucester, ON]

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

Architectural and engineering services are a significant component of Canada's small and medium size business community. Could the minister tell us what is the government doing to give greater access to this important sector of our economy?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, earlier in the week I announced an initiative called Contracts Canada which will allow one-stop shopping for all Government of Canada procurement. This afternoon I will be announcing that our small professional architectural and engineering firms will have a new system which will make accessibility to government procurement easier.

Canada Pension Plan

[Diane Ablonczy, Reform, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Finance made a very surprising announcement. He went ahead and set up a committee to nominate candidates to his proposed CPP investment board.

Members of the House know that the legislation has barely entered into debate in the House, yet the minister is moving full speed ahead. Is this minister telling members of the House that our work is irrelevant, that he is going to do whatever it takes to see that this is a done deal?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite knows perfectly well that in order for the government to be ready for the legislation once it is complete it must prepare now. To have done the opposite would have been totally irresponsible.

This in no way infringes upon the privileges of the House. It is normal to prepare ahead of time for the day when the legislation is passed so we do not waste valuable time and taxpayers' money.

[Diane Ablonczy, Reform, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it does not matter what we say or do in the House. This legislation is going ahead according to the government.

The minister just cannot wait to get his hands on all this tax money. We have a taxaholic finance minister waiting for his new hit of 10 billion new tax dollars.

Is this just another example of the government's contempt for the people the citizens of Canada elected to look after their affairs?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, first of all the hon. member is wrong in suggesting that the premium revenue goes into the general revenues of the government. The funds go into the special Canada pension plan fund dedicated to maintaining and securing the Canada pension plan for all Canadians.

Therefore with this legislation we are acting in the interests of all Canadians to help them have a secure, safe retirement, unlike the Reform Party which wants to submit them to the marketplace and the Bre-X investment policy.

Non-Profit Organizations

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

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

While Canadians are still waiting for the jobs promised by the Liberals, the government is cutting funding for non-profit organizations helping the unemployed re-enter the labour market.

What the government is saying to women, aboriginal people, the disabled and others who have a particularly hard time finding a job is “sorry, but we do not want to help you”.

Is the government prepared to reaffirm its commitment to all those who are trying to find a job by maintaining funding for these organizations?

[Bob Nault, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, I can say to the member and to everyone in the House the number one priority of the government is obviously employment of Canadians.

We will not be satisfied as long the unemployment rate is as high as it is. We continue to work every day to find solutions to problems that are very complex. For the NDP to stand and suggest that there is some sort of magic solution, some band aid program that we could put in place to deal with an issue that has been ongoing for the last 30 years to 40 years of high unemployment, is crass and unacceptable.

We will continue to put programs in place, help the unemployed, put training in place—

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

Mr. Speaker, this government is resorting to patronage at the expense of the poor in our society.

In Ottawa alone, the minister wants to close six non-profit organizations to award a lucrative contract to former employees of the Department of Human Resources Development. The Liberal scheme will cost an additional $520,000, and those who used to have access to the services provided by these organizations will no longer have that possibility. Such is the Liberal logic. It explains why the minister refused to meet with representatives from one of these organizations.

Is the minister prepared to meet with the Ottawa's Women's Career Counselling group?

[Bob Nault, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, on the particulars of the case the member is asking about I can give him this commitment. If he gives us the information he is talking about, we will certainly meet with any individual, any organization, to help the unemployed, the disabled or anyone out there who needs our help to get employment. We are there on their behalf.

Give us the information. Give us the specifics. We will take a good serious look at it.

Criminal Code

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Mothers Against Drunk Driving held a press conference and released very important results of a national survey which indicated that more than 80% of Canadians support toughening the Criminal Code with respect to drunk driving.

Twelve months ago MADD came to Ottawa looking for action and attempted to meet with the former justice minister. Apparently he was too busy dealing with politically motivated matters to meet with them and was oblivious to the 1,700 Canadians who were killed by drunk drivers.

My question is for the current Minister of Justice. Will the minister commit today to stopping the carnage on Canadian highways by tabling amendments to the Criminal Code dealing with drunk driving?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question.

I had the opportunity to meet with representatives from MADD the day before yesterday. We spent over an hour together. On behalf of all members of the House I congratulate and thank those who act as volunteers in MADD for the fine work they have done over the past number of years to sensitize Canadians to the problems of drunk driving.

I have undertaken to raise the issue when I meet with my provincial counterparts in December. I would like to have a federal-provincial working group that presents an integrated strategy to deal with this important issue.

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, by doing nothing on the issue of drunk driving the Liberal government bears responsibility for the deaths and injuries caused by drunk drivers.

Yesterday the minister said that she was waiting for the transport department to do something. The minister knows well that neither the Department of Transport nor provincial ministers can do anything to amend the Criminal Code.

Is the justice minister hiding behind another public servant's report to cover the lack of action by her government on this issue? I urge her to take the responsibility to prevent another 1,700 deaths in the coming year and commit to concrete steps to review the Criminal Code roadside procedures and enact a victims bill of rights.

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I take exception to the hon. member's comment in terms of his references to the Department of Transport.

What I said yesterday was that the Department of Transport is undertaking an important study in relation to blood alcohol concentration. The Department of Transport is doing this study in co-operation with the chiefs of police of the country. Of course we are waiting for the outcome of that study before we mindlessly make changes to the Criminal Code.

I want to go back to my original point. What is important here is an integrated strategy to deal with the terrible problem of drunk driving. Part of that strategy—

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. Milliken)]

The hon. member for Kitchener Centre.

Human Resources

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Kitchener Centre, ON]

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

Following the release of the report of the task force on persons with disabilities the government has repeated on a number of occasions that helping persons with disabilities is a priority.

What concrete measures is the government taking to ensure that persons with disabilities can be full participants in Canadian society?

[Bob Nault, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important subject.

We have been accused on many occasions that the task forces and groups we have put together have no impact.

The task force on disabilities recommended certain things. We have now enacted $30 million annually in the opportunities fund announced in the 1997 budget. Tax assistance increased to a total of $70 million annually.

At the recent ministers meeting of the Council on Social Policy Renewal, a new initiative called employability assistance to people with disabilities was put in place. Those are the kinds of initiatives that we think the government and this—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Yorkton—Melville.

Solicitor General

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the solicitor general kept repeating the same mantra, no matter what question he was asked.

He claimed that the gradual release program improved public safety. A survey by his own department found that 37% of prisoners in the early release program reoffended within two years, but only 16% reoffended in the same time period if they served their full sentence.

My question. Does the solicitor general think we should keep the bad guys in jail for their full sentence if it cuts their probability of reoffending—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. solicitor general.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, once again they are wrong. In good faith I had a meeting last night with the commissioner to discuss some of the issue raised yesterday. I found out that seven facts presented yesterday by the Reform were absolutely wrong.

That has prompted the following statement by the Union of Solicitor General Employees:

The Union of Solicitor General Employees feels that it is counterproductive to have outside critics attack the professionalism of the service, its staff—