Debates of Nov. 28th, 1997

Dangerous Offenders

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely shocking and sickening that Yves Richard, a pedophile who forced 12 little girls to perform sadistic sexual acts including a two year old, has been granted a weekend unescorted pass into Ottawa.

The sentencing judge said that this was the worst case of sexual abuse he has ever seen, yet the bleeding heart parole board has granted this pedophile an unescorted weekend pass into this city.

I ask the solicitor general—

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada.

[Nick Discepola, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, in effect, Mr. Richard is on a day pass.

I want to state to the House that when these passes are awarded, the risk that could be posed to the public is always assessed. In this case I can assure the House that the inmate in question is always under the supervision of a local parole officer.

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this unescorted weekend pass was granted after serving less than two years of an eight year sentence.

What has the solicitor general to say to the victims and their families who have been horrified by this news? What does he have to say to them?

[Nick Discepola, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, it is very easy to take an isolated exception or one case out of context.

In essence, if the member reviews all of the statistics, he will understand that when it comes to escorted temporary passes and other temporary passes the success rate is very high, in excess of 98%.

One must realize that the majority of inmates eventually get out into the public after serving their sentences. It is important that the parole process is allowed to work so that we can reintegrate these people who eventually get out into society.

Environment

[Rick Laliberte, NDP, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, climate change is an international issue and we are also dealing with an international deadline. Tomorrow the countries of the world will be starting to negotiate the Kyoto draft agreement.

Today the front page news is that cabinet is divided, while the rest of the world is ready to set targets from zero to 15%. Beyond that embarrassment, this government has not stated which department is the designated lead for Canada's role.

Can the Deputy Prime Minister assure Canadians he understands that climate change is an environmental issue and that the environment minister will be the lead negotiator in Kyoto and in the post-Kyoto implementation process?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that Canada takes this issue very seriously and that the environment minister will be the chair of the Canadian delegation.

[Rick Laliberte, NDP, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, one thing we have realized is that the government and the official opposition have something in common. Neither of them have a Kyoto position.

English is my second language, but now I understand the meaning of ignorance.

The Reform leader's primary concern has been his collection plate and he cannot even acknowledge the impending disaster of our existence on this planet.

Is the prime minister recognizing the Reform Party's interests, or will he ensure that Canada will take a leadership role and regain the lost respect we have had from the world as an environmental leader and set reductions as a goal for this nation?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. friend that we will take a leadership role, quite the contrary to the non-approach of the Reform Party.

My hon. friend would help if he would encourage the Saskatchewan government, the province he is from, to be fully supportive and co-operative with the federal government. Will he make that commitment now?

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, after last night's cabinet debacle and today's cancelled press conference, the world community now knows how disorganized this government is going into next week's negotiations.

I want to help. If the Minister of the Environment is unsure of what should be our position beyond targets and timelines, will she include the following economic instruments: joint implementation, tradable permits of emissions, recognition of Canada's carbon sink and a phased in plan for involvement of emerging nations? Or is the Kyoto position lost in the mail?

[Christine Stewart, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. He raises some very important elements of our negotiations in Kyoto. In fact, those are part of our negotiation position.

With regard to the targets and timelines, as I have said before, we will let them be known on Monday.

Human Rights

[Jean Charest, Progressive Conservative, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer the government an opportunity to clarify for the House its position on human rights and trade.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs will remember that a few years ago the Prime Minister stated during a visit to his riding of Shawinigan, when asked what our position was, that it depended on the size of the country we are dealing with. In other words, name me your country and I will name you my principles.

I would like to know what is the position of this government with regard to trade and human rights.

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I think our position has been made very clear, that they are both very clear objectives of the Government of Canada to pursue in its international relations. Trade itself does not bring about an improvement in human rights, but it does bring access to many countries so that we can engage in that dialogue.

A good example is today when we were able to announce that both ourselves and China are co-sponsoring a major symposium on human rights that will be held in Canada early in the new year. That is a sign of how engagement can work.

Federal Public Servants

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of Treasury Board.

In Canada, we are free to practice the religion of our choice. Is the minister planning to set aside areas in government buildings where Muslim public servants can fulfil their religious obligations on their own time?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, freedom to practice one's religion means, for our employees as well, the right to be able to observe one's religious practices in the prescribed places and at the prescribed times.

Government administration requires that we all make an effort to facilitate the practice of all religions and make it possible for individuals to observe the required religious practices.

Debt Reduction

[Rahim Jaffer, Reform, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the Conseil du Patronat told the Minister of Finance that any budget surplus should be devoted to reducing the debt and the tax burden.

The Minister of Finance heard that same message from ordinary citizens and from business groups.

Does the Minister of Finance have an excuse for not complying with this request?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to announce that we tried to achieve balanced fiscal programs.

We are well aware that the tax burden is considerable. We know that our debt has to be reduced, and we also have to maintain the social programs that are very important to all Canadians.

Asbestos Industry

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of International Trade.

The federal government claims to be making every effort to save the asbestos industry. Yet recently, we heard the press secretary to the Minister for International Trade say that there was no action plan.

Are we to understand that there is no strategy to save the asbestos industry and that the minister does not intend to raise this issue with the World Trade Organization?

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I think when the hon. member quotes a person she should do justice by quoting the entire paragraph.

Clearly the Government of Canada has been on the lead in bringing together not only the Government of Quebec but the industry in terms of asbestos. Yesterday my deputy minister with government officials from Quebec and with the entire industry met on the strategic plan to come forward. There was agreement around the entire table.

The hon. member might want to say why her premier from Quebec wanted during his visit to Quebec not for us proceed on the—

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre.

Government Buildings

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this government owns 50,000 buildings, many of which are outdated, expensive to operate and waste energy. Yet today, unbelievably, the government postponed an energy retrofit program that would create thousands of jobs, save a fortune in operating costs and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

On the eve of Kyoto can the Minister of the Environment please explain why in the world she would postpone an idea as good as job creation through energy conservation.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, the idea is by no means postponed.

The federal buildings initiative is an ongoing effort of the government to encourage greater energy conservation in the construction and the operation of federal government buildings.

Over the last number of years we made considerable progress in achieving energy savings from a cost point of view and also improvements in the greenhouse gas performance. That program is ongoing and it will continue to be ongoing with announcements one after the other.

Immigration

[Norman E. Doyle, Progressive Conservative, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Geneva convention relating to the status of refugees in Canada, to which Canada is a signatory, states that contracting states shall in particular make every effort to reduce as far as possible all the charges and costs associated with the assimilation and naturalisation of refugees.

My question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. How does the minister square our international obligations under the Geneva convention with a head tax of $970 per adult refugee?

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to the hon. member that the loan program for immigrants and refugees is a mechanism to assist those in need of financial assistance to cover the costs of certain fees associated with entering Canada.

Second, 95% of beneficiaries are refugees in need of assistance. This program has been a major success story. In fact, I am pleased to inform the House that over 92% of the loans have been paid back.

This not only demonstrates this government's commitment to helping immigrants and refugees enter Canada, it also speaks well to the integrity of newcomers to our country.

Thunder Bay

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Atikokan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is addressed to the minister responsible for the Ministry of Transport.

In the middle of the city of Thunder Bay a railway tanker car containing volatile butane sprung a leak, thus possibly endangering the lives of hundreds of nearby residents.

What has been done and what is now being done to protect the citizens of my riding in this situation?