House of Commons Hansard #27 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was crtc.

Topics

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

The Speaker

The Right Hon. Prime Minister.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, yes, I think we should go and play bingo. They really do not know what we have said on that. They attacked the Minister of Justice when they knew very well that the rules of this House did not allow her to get up in the House of Commons. She replied to them later.

We are responsible on this side. They are irresponsible on the other side.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Reform

Bill Gilmour Reform Nanaimo—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, so far the only government officials who have publicly stated the costs of the Kyoto deal are the finance minister's own people. They have been quoted in the Globe and Mail that the Kyoto deal could consume any hope for budget surplus.

Is the finance minister willing to run up a deficit to pay for the Kyoto deal?

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, it is nonsensical to speculate on a deal that has not taken place. It is nonsensical to speculate on a series of commitments to be negotiated with a multitude of countries around the world. It is nonsensical to speculate on negotiations which have not begun. It is nonsensical to speculate on fundamental changes that are going to take place over great number of years in a negotiation with a great number of countries.

That is our position. The prime minister has expressed it well.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Reform

Bill Gilmour Reform Nanaimo—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, the prime minister has stated it well. They do not have a position.

We can read in the newspaper where the Americans are coming from. We can read in the newspaper where the European community is coming from. We cannot find out in this House where this government is coming from.

The finance minister's department has stated that the Kyoto deal is going to eat up the surplus of the budget. Where is the finance minister going to get the money to finance the Kyoto deal?

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, it is this very member of Parliament who is the one who has proposed a tax increase to settle the problem of the Kyoto deal. He is the only one who spoke about it.

As the Minister of Finance said, we have a responsibility for the protection of the environment and climate change.

These people on the other side do not feel that the world is changing or that we have international obligations. They are still at the stage where they think the planet is flat.

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, the government has just interfered in another area under provincial jurisdiction, drinking water.

In reading Bill C-14, we see that the government, under the guise of setting national standards, is trying to take complete control over drinking water.

Will the Prime Minister confirm that, under the guise of setting national standards, he is going to assume complete control over the selling of drinking water, over its quality and over all related products?

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, that of course is quite untrue.

What the bill does is regulate a matter entirely within federal jurisdiction; that is to say, standards for the manufacture, sale and use of mechanisms and equipment used in connection with the transporting of drinking water.

Provincial jurisdiction is being fully respected. Our sole intent is to respect federal responsibilities.

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister has indeed just confirmed that this involves all products related to drinking water. That is in the bill, moreover.

They always have good intentions but, is it not the bottom line that, having figured out that drinking water is going to become a major economic issue, a strategic issue in the years to come, the federal government is trying to grab control of drinking water, as it has already done with telecommunications and oil?

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the position expressed by the hon. member is a somewhat odd one. Is he opposed to Canadians having safe water? Is he opposed to health standards for Canadians?

It is very odd to find a constitutional question in all this. I am extremely surprised and disappointed. It is our intention to act in order to protect the health of all Canadians.

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, the federal government will get involved in the area of drinking water through its health department, on the grounds that it must protect public health in Canada.

Is this not an excuse for the federal government to take complete control over drinking water, thus taking over responsibilities which Quebec already exercises and which come under provincial jurisdiction?

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, in our actions, we have respected the jurisdiction of Quebec and of all the other provinces.

In fact, we discussed the details of this legislation with my provincial counterparts and their officials, and it is widely recognized that we took action to meet a challenge faced by every jurisdiction in Canada. It is a federal responsibility, but we are respecting provincial jurisdiction.

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, is the Minister of Health not once again trying to pull a fast one, as in the case of raw milk cheese, by suddenly and clumsily getting involved in an area where no one in Quebec thinks he has any business, using public health as an excuse?

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should check with her colleagues in Quebec City, because we have the support of all the provinces to introduce this legislation.

We intend to proceed to protect the health of all Canadians.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

November 4th, 1997 / 2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the prime minister. At a $350 a plate dinner last night the prime minister nixed carbon taxes as a way to reduce greenhouse gases.

Unfortunately dinner goers and Canadians alike still did not get their money's worth. We still do not know what positive position the government will put forward at Kyoto.

Economic and scientific experts agree that solid leadership on greenhouse gas emissions can be win-win for Canada economically and environmentally.

Why then will Canada not go to Kyoto prepared to provide leadership?

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we will provide leadership and that is what we are talking about at this time. As members can see, there is no agreement.

There is the Reform Party which does not want to do anything about the protection of the environment and the NDP which does not think a minute about what the cost might be.

At this moment my ministers are speaking with provincial governments because for the implementation of the Kyoto commitment which will come eventually we need the collaboration of the provinces. The ministers will be meeting on November 16.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister, the heritage minister and the prime minister are all on public record in support of a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2005.

In fact, this promise was front and centre in the Liberal red book, page 70, right up there with the promise to scrap the GST.

When the government broke the GST promise, the member for Hamilton East was forced to resign. Who is going to resign over this broken promise?

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I will finish what I was saying. There will be a meeting in a few days, actually the 12th of this month, and we want to have discussions with the provinces because in Canada the federal government is not like the NDP. We do not tell the provinces to do exactly what we want.

We want to have discussions with them to develop a consensus and have a position that will represent the interests of every part of Canada.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jean Charest Progressive Conservative Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, last night at this fund-raising dinner the prime minister made the whopping statement that he wants Canada to get credit for selling nuclear reactors to China because he says that a country like Canada should get some recognition for helping a developing country reduce its emissions and get some credit for it.

Since the prime minister holds that position, could he table in the House of Commons today the environmental assessment on which he bases that statement?

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I do not need to table anything. It is obvious that if the Chinese can use electricity produced by atomic energy, they will not have to burn coal. One does not have to be a genius to understand that it is better to use electricity that does not pollute than electricity produced by burning coal.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jean Charest Progressive Conservative Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, genius is a rare commodity on the government benches.

The Minister of Finance said on the weekend in an interview that when he was Liberal environment critic he was tremendously “deceived” by Rio because governments did not live up to their commitments. I know this is a concept with which he is familiar, being the minister responsible for the GST.

The finance minister is part of a government that has held office for four of the five years since Rio. I would like to know what his government has done to live up to those commitments.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that when a number of us from this side of the House and, in fact, the current head of the Suzuki Foundation went to Rio, we put a great deal of faith in this member when he was the minister of the environment.

However, a number of promises were made that were not kept. When we came into office we found that nothing had been done. In fact, they had engaged in anti-rhetoric. Everything this member said he did not mean.

The Canadian people were tremendously deceived and I was too. When the hon. member was in Rio he should have set commitments—

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

More, more.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Edmonton North.

Rcmp InvestigationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, today the Liberal's top Quebec fundraiser, Pierre Corbeil, appeared in court to answer charges of criminal influence peddling.

However, questions remain for the government. Who actually leaked the government documents and lists so that Mr. Corbeil could have them? When we asked this question of the Prime Minister on October 9, he said he was going to have a chat with his ethics counsellor and get him to look into it. It is now nearly a month later.

Could the Prime Minister tell us what the ethics counsellor had to say about this deal?