Debates of Nov. 17th, 1997

Fisheries

[Gary Lunn, Reform, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, when the federal Treasury Board writes a paper called “Getting Science Right in the Public Sector”, one can only assume something is wrong. It is this. When science conflicts with politics in the fisheries department, politics rules. We know that Liberals ignore Canadian fishermen. We know the minister ignores his own scientists. Will the minister listen to his own Treasury Board and take the politics out of science?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member wished, he could look at the decisions for the fisheries department since I became minister. They are in full conformity with the fisheries research board. We have followed science in all the decisions made.

In a large department with many scientists there will inevitably be divisions between scientists but the practice of using science to guide management decisions is well established. It is there and the hon. member has only to look at it to find out that it is—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve.

Immigration

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

According to a report presented to the minister on October 2, there are currently some 270 refugee claimants in Canada who have been declared war criminals by the Immigration and Refugee Board. The same report states that the government has been much too permissive in this respect.

What action has the minister taken so far to ensure that Canada does not become a haven for war criminals?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is referring to an internal report produced by one of our immigration officers working in the war crimes division. This is one of the actions we have taken. We have established a special division within the Department of Citizenship and Immigration to closely monitor the situation and first try to determine whether we have, in this country, individuals who could be suspected of relatively recent war crimes. We did that and, second, we have taken action against those individuals who were identified. Several cases were investigated. More than 70 claimants were returned to their country of origin and more than 270—

[The Speaker]

I am sorry to interrupt the hon. minister. The hon. member for Palliser.

Agriculture

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of agriculture. The minister will know that B.C. farmers have been hurt by extremely poor harvest conditions about the Okanagan and the Peace River districts this year. The B.C. government wants to help out the area farmers affected by this disaster by developing cost shared responses to these huge crop losses, losses which far exceed existing crop insurance and NISA programs.

Why will the federal government not do its share and help out B.C farmers?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the government will do its share and help B.C. farmers. I have had a discussion with the minister of agriculture from the province of British Columbia. We have discussed the way in which the NISA program and the crop insurance programs, which are ongoing programs, available to farmers across Canada can assist. I have also instructed staff members to work with the Government of British Columbia to do all we can within existing programs that are available in both the province of British Columbia and the rest of Canada to assist these farmers.

Canada Post

[Jean Dubé, Progressive Conservative, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Labour has known for two and a half weeks that Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers would be in a position for a strike or lockout this week. A work stoppage at Canada Post will hurt thousands of Canadian charities and businesses at their busiest time of the season.

Does the Minister of Labour intend to introduce pre-emptive back to work legislation today or does he have his heart set on shutting down Canada Post for Christmas?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, I wish my hon. colleague would concentrate on what is happening and not on what might happen or what will happen. I understand the parties have met today. This government wants a collective agreement. We want an agreement that will be better for the people of Canada. We urge the parties to get back to the table to come up with a collective agreement that will be better for all.

Trade

[Lynn Myers, Liberal, Waterloo—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, U.S. President Bill Clinton recently failed to get backing from Congress to give him fast track authority to negotiate expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

My question is for the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for International Trade. Is Canada now in a position to move forward and have its own trade deals with Latin American countries? If so, does he plan to do this?

[Julian Reed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his question. It shows great insight into this issue.

Canada does not intend to allow a U.S. delay in the fast tracking process to interfere with Canada's own progress in this matter. There is a tremendous growth in the region with a population of over 500 million people and a gross domestic product of over $2 trillion. We are pursuing it with vigour.

Fisheries

[John Duncan, Reform, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Saint John River in New Brunswick has a catch and release sports fishery for conservation reasons. Recently the DFO closed the river to catch and release fishing and then proceeded to kill fish to give to the local aboriginal communities.

The local native communities never asked for those fish. They are not surplus fish and they are not necessary for science. Why did the DFO close the river for conservation reasons and then proceed to kill fish?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is obviously unaware that the 22 fish that he is talking about were in fact male hatchery grilse that had been at sea for one winter only.

They were turned over to the aboriginal community which is appropriate because the aboriginal community's quota for ceremonial and food purposes had not been met. These were hatchery fish and it is important for genetic reasons, to protect genetic stocks of salmon to make sure that the number of hatchery fish are reduced.

In addition, in that very river the number of male fish was double the number of female and that is an imbalance that we wanted to correct.

Indian Affairs

[Pierre De Savoye, Bloc, Portneuf, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Recently, several people have condemned the tragic story of native boarding schools set up to destroy their culture. These boarding schools nearly wiped out a generation of natives in Canada.

Do the minister and her government recognize the federal goverment's responsibility in this human tragedy?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I missed the first part of the question that dealt with a specific case, but I can assure my colleague that we take very seriously our responsibilities with regard to the rights of Canadian natives. We hope to have the response to the RCAP report by the end of this year.

Canada Post

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post continues to try to negotiate through the media using fearmongering and misinformation to hide the real issues surrounding this round of bargaining.

Those real issues are the protection of thousands of good full time jobs and the struggle to make poor paying part-time jobs into real jobs that Canadians can live on.

This round of bargaining could be settled if the government would stop threatening to throw 4,000 Canadians out on the street. Will the Minister of Public Works speak out on behalf of Canadian workers and direct Canada Post to withdraw its proposals which would eliminate Canadian jobs?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me say that first of all while Canada Post loses money because of the strike threats, Canadian postal workers risk losing their jobs.

I want to remind the hon. member that it was Canada Post that last week called the president of the union to say “Let's go back to the table and start negotiating”. That is what they are doing today.

They continue to negotiate. If he has any say with his friends in the union, maybe he should talk them into staying at the table and coming up with a reasonable proposal so that we can have a settlement agreement.

Shipbuilding

[Elsie Wayne, Progressive Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, three weeks ago information was forwarded to the Minister of Industry regarding a new shipbuilding policy for Canada.

My question, based on this new information showing that we are not asking for any subsidies whatsoever, is will the Minister of Industry tell the House of Commons if he is looking at a new shipbuilding policy for the whole of Canada?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, as I assured the member privately, if she sent me information we would look at it carefully. I do need to tell her, however, that special tax breaks are a form of subsidy.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I would like to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of a delegation from the Bahamas, led by the hon. Frank Watson, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security of the Bahamas.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Points Of Order

[Jean Charest, Progressive Conservative, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. You will remember that in the exchange I had with the Minister of Finance during question period the Minister of Finance stated that the question I raised had been raised a month before in the House of Commons.

I have checked the record of Hansard and found this not to be the case.

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order.

[The Speaker]

Is it on the same point of order? I am not sure it is a point of order, but go ahead.