Debates of Nov. 3rd, 1997

Education

[Gordon Earle, NDP, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, by the year 2000, 45% of new jobs will require 16 years of education, yet a government study shows that since 1980 public transfers for education have been cut in half, from $6.44 per each dollar of student fees in 1980 to less than $3 in 1995. Even then the government continued to cut.

How can the government turn its back on young Canadians by cutting the very programs that would lead them to jobs in the future?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it is quite the opposite.

If the hon. member would care to take a look at the last budget, he will see that the government brought in substantial measures to help parents save for their children's education through RESPs. At the same time we brought in a whole new system of tax credits to enable students to have either their parents or other people help them pay for their tuition. We doubled the grace period which students would have to begin to pay back their student loans. Not only did we do that but we brought in a whole series—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, during last Parliament's debate on Bill C-92 the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance said that the old system of deduction inclusion was not working for the benefit of Canadian children. As a result, the Income Tax Act was amended so that child support payments would no longer be deductible for the payee nor be included in the recipient's income.

In theory, these changes seem equitable but in practice it translates into smaller amounts awarded by judges. Monetary awards for children are now smaller than what used to be left in the hands of recipients. Could the minister of revenue explain to the House why taking money from poor families affected by divorce is of any benefit to Canadian children?

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, part of our agenda has been to help children. Part of the whole program to not let deductions happen for parents is to ensure that the children get more money. This is part of the children agenda we, including the Minister of Justice, have put forward.

We will ensure that the children of Canada are protected through the child poverty program. We will also ensure that all funds go to children. Is this member saying that for those people who pay maintenance fees, after tax money or before tax money should go toward children? He should be clear on what his position is.

[Diane St-Jacques, Progressive Conservative, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the former Minister of Justice told the Senate committee that tax changes provide Ottawa with additional revenue. This means that the children of divorced parents have less, but the government has more.

Can the Minister of National Revenue tell the House how much money divorced families are now giving the Minister of Finance and explain to us how these changes actually help children?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member that the purpose of our reforms and the purpose of the reform entered into by my predecessor was to ensure that children of divorced families get more. I assure the hon. member that my department is watching very carefully the implementation and application of the guidelines. If there appear to be any problems we will be dealing with them.

Environment

[Murray Calder, Liberal, Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a new federal study states that global warming will adversely affect the climate on the prairies: drier summers, thinning forests. As a farmer I would like the minister of agriculture to tell us in concrete terms what he is doing to protect Canada's soil and water systems.

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

Mr. Speaker, the department has been actively involved in protecting Canada's fragile environment.

Recently we announced the $10 million national soil and water conservation program. That $10 million will be distributed by adaptation councils and other similar groups across the country to conserve and enhance soil and water stability and quality, to conserve biodiversity and to deal with any adverse effects the uses of farm inputs may have.

The province of Ontario was the first to come forward with its application and I have presented it with a $625,000 cheque.

Corrections Canada

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the last two and a half months three violent offenders have escaped from the new minimum security aboriginal healing centre at Hobbema, Alberta. Two have been apprehended and one is still at large. Why does Corrections Canada refuse to alert the public when an escape occurs from this institution?

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the facility in Hobbema is one of which Corrections Canada is quite proud. It introduced new ways of dealing with aboriginal offenders. I specifically remember the hon. member attended the opening with much fanfare.

We are very aware of any incident of that kind that occurs inside an institution and are taking action.

Tobacco Act

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, several times now I have asked the Minister of Health if he intended to take other sports and cultural events besides the Grand Prix into account in his bill to amend the Tobacco Act, and each time the minister has refused to answer.

Will the minister admit that a bill to amend the Tobacco Act that did not take all sports and cultural events into account would create a completely discriminatory situation?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we have not yet introduced the amendment. I intend to do so shortly.

I would like to advise the hon. member simply to wait. I will introduce the amendment when it is ready.

The Economy

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.

The government has finally learned what Canadians have known for some time. While the gross domestic product may be rising, the social health of Canadians has actually declined. The government's index on social health shows that unemployment, falling real wages and increases in child poverty continue to plague our country.

Will the Minister of Finance commit today to improving the social health of Canadians? Will he and his government set targets and timetables to reduce unemployment and pursue them with the same determination and vigour that he pursued targets for deficit reduction?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we are concerned with all of the social indicators that apply to Canadians. The prime motivation for the clean-up of the nation's finances was to put the government in a situation where it can address those things.

I am sure the hon. member knows that Canadians suffered from the trauma of a terrible recession from 1989 to 1992 and it took a long time for us to recover from it. However, as a result of the actions taken since 1993, all of those indicators have either stabilized or they have improved substantially.

National Defence

[David Price, Progressive Conservative, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the defence minister neglects to tell us that without the inspector general, he is the only link between Parliament and national defence.

I learned this weekend of allegations of drug use at one of Canada's top military bases. I also learned that the investigation made by the military was botched.

Is the government prepared to tell Canadians that it is satisfied with the results of the investigation, and if not, why was it stopped?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the investigation has been suspended but it is not closed. If additional information is brought out, the investigation will be reopened on the basis of that new information.

The investigation has been thorough. I do not subscribe to the preamble of the question in which he said it was botched. The matter has been investigated. In fact other police forces were also involved. If there is new information it will be reopened.

Immigration

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

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

The minister recently announced the immigration levels for next year.

In my riding of Vancouver Kingsway we always support the immigrants' families. Is it true the new policy will reduce the family reunification program?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government continues to be strongly committed to family reunification. I should point out that independent immigrants also bring families with them when they come into this country.

The other thing is that applications on families are on demand. We have no quota. However, the family reunification numbers have gone down primarily due to a change of classification with families as a definition over the last number of years.

A legislative review is taking place. The report will be tabled at the end of December. Perhaps the hon. member and other members of the House would like to participate in discussing how we might define family reunification in the future.

Health Care

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday the supreme court gave the power to this House to protect fetal rights. The Minister of Justice said she would do nothing.

Our jails, our detox units and our psych units are filled with the broken minds of people who have been damaged before birth.

Is this minister going to do something to protect children before birth or is she and the government going to continue to do nothing?

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

Mr. Speaker, I point out the fact that the Supreme Court of Canada did not give that power to the Parliament of Canada. In fact, the Supreme Court of Canada talked about provincial legislatures.

I remind the hon. member that what we are dealing with is a very important issue of health. Therefore I suggest that perhaps he talk to the provincial Government of Manitoba in relation to legislative responses dealing with health and child welfare.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of Dr. Valsta Parkanova, Minister of Justice of the Czech Republic.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of members also to the presence in the gallery of Mr. Ernesto Suarez Mendes, member of the National Assembly of the People's Power of the Republic of Cuba and Secretary-General.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.