Debates of Dec. 8th, 1997

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, this government is refitting our aging, cracking, unreliable, 30-year old Sea King helicopters to last until the year 2005. These are the same helicopters that were grounded this past weekend.

This goes against the 1994 defence white paper and I have information that this will cost $970 million. Is this government going to spend $970 million on repairs and then spend billions on new helicopters? I do not think so.

Is it not true that this government has absolutely no intention of replacing our aging Sea Kings?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think the Conservative Party has anything to tell us about helicopters. If they had not botched up the last deal, we certainly would have been able to resolve this at a far cheaper price, which is what this government will do.

It will meet our operational requirements. It will get the kind of helicopters we need and at a price that is affordable to Canadians.

Tax Evasion

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly embrace the notion that my Quebec is unique from the rest of Canada but I cannot believe that Quebec is unique from the rest of Canada when it comes to tax fraud by restaurants using high tech software tools to conceal real sales figures and taxes.

I want to know what the Minister of National Revenue is doing about this kind of tax evasion across Canada.

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the member that we take action to ensure that all Canadians pay their fair share of taxes right across this country.

I also want to assure the member that at Revenue Canada we have forensic specialists. We have people who directly deal with computer fraud and who will ensure that we continue the good work at Revenue Canada. We ensure that all Canadians and all businesses pay their fair share of taxes.

They do. Most Canadians abide by our self-assessment program and businesses pay their taxes. We will continue the good work that we have been doing right across Canada.

The Senate

[Rob Anders, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, while Senator Andrew Thompson shirks work and walks his dog under the Mexico sun, a Senate subcommittee has reached a landmark decision. Thompson should not get a salary if he does not show up for work.

[An hon. member]

Oh, no.

[Rob Anders, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Good work, senators, but Thompson is not the only Senate no-show. Senator Eyton, for example, has just barely beaten Thompson's attendance record and showed his face in the upper house a whopping seven days out of 91.

Will the real Prime Minister stand today and keep Liberal promises to make the Senate accountable, or will he defend these absentee appointees of the red chamber?

[The Speaker]

I do not know if there is someone in the government who would like to address the question. I cannot see it attached to the administrative responsibilities of this government.

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, you would hardly expect somebody on the Liberal side of the House to be defending a Conservative senator.

Second, the hon. member's question does not pertain to anything within the administrative responsibilities of the government. We do not control the salaries or office space or whatever of the senators. It is a matter for the internal management of the Senate.

We all hope they will deal with it as quickly as possible so that the kind of conduct that upsets us and so many Canadians will not continue.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party of Canada has just passed a resolution that the CBC be used to help promote national unity.

Are we to understand that the Minister of Canadian Heritage wants to regularize what she has been trying to do for two years, which is to make the CBC into a propaganda tool? Is she finally going to make it into a pro-unity tool?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

No, Mr. Speaker.

Seasonal Workers

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Human Resources Development is aware of the fact that, because of the fisheries crisis and the nature of seasonal work, hundreds of workers do not qualify for employment insurance for lack of the requisite number of hours worked.

In many cases, these families are not eligible for welfare. As a result, they cannot afford to put bread on the table.

Did the minister sign an agreement with the provinces as he did in the past to ensure that the workers have the required number of hours worked to qualify for employment insurance so that they can have something to eat at Christmas?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, we are very concerned by the plight of seasonal workers. We are monitoring our reform very closely. In fact, we have asked that, one year into this reform, we have an opportunity to assess its impact on workers. This assessment will take place in January, after I have received the report.

I must add that we are committed to helping seasonal workers find work. The transitional job fund was established to create jobs, and we have active employment measures to help these workers participate in the labour market—because that is what they want—year round.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, this government believes that buying new helicopters is some sort of joke, but nobody is laughing. Charging Canadians over $500 million for nothing is no joke, it is an embarrassment. The Minister of National Defence said that he would make an announcement on a new search and rescue helicopter soon. That was 79 days ago. Will the government make an announcement on the new helicopters before Christmas or will the bidding process start all over again in January for a third time?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is correct that this matter is no joke. It is a question of providing the right kind of equipment for our search and rescue technicians to be able to go out and rescue people, to save lives in this country and on its shores. We want to make sure we get the piece of equipment, the helicopter that will best meet their needs at a price that is affordable to Canadians.

Agriculture

[Paul Bonwick, Liberal, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. This federal government has the responsibility to aggressively support and defend the agricultural industry and in particular supply management.

Is this minister prepared to sit down with representatives of the Dairy Farmers of Canada and once and for all resolve this butter oil situation? How does he intend to address their concerns on this very important issue?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government certainly recognizes the concerns of the dairy industry and its representatives on this issue. We have been monitoring with them the level of imports of butter oil and sugar blends. I have met personally, as have officials of my ministry and other ministries, with the officials of the industry a number of times.

My colleagues and I are working on a method to address the issue, and that will be consistent with our international rights and obligations.

Foreign Aid

[Gurmant Grewal, Reform, Surrey Central, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has sent over $10 million in food aid to North Korea. We have leaked documents that show the minister knew there were problems with distribution. Canadians want to be sure the food goes only to the starving civilians. World food monitors in North Korea can account for only 30%.

Despite knowing the food distribution system had problems, how could the CIDA minister justify her decision to send $10 million in food aid and how does she know where it went, for example not to the brutal army?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister for International Cooperation and Minister responsible for Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, the $10 million does not go to North Korea. It goes to Canadian farmers to buy wheat and it goes to Canadian fishers to buy fish, canned fish that is processed in Canada.

Second, North Koreans have kept very good records. There have been monitoring teams that have gone in and have told us that the food is reaching the orphans and the people it was meant to feed.

Report Of Parliamentary Librarian

[The Speaker]

I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of the parliamentary librarian for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1997.

Ways And Means

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), I wish to table a notice of ways and means motion to amend the Income Tax Act and certain related acts, as well as explanatory notes. I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of the motion.

Order In Council Appointments

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments which were made by the government.

Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 110(1) these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to four petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding associate membership of the liaison committee.

If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in this 15th report later this day.

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table in both official languages the second report of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development.

In accordance with its mandate under Standing Order 108, your committee undertook the consideration of climate change issues in relation to Canadian preparations and participation at the conference of the parties of the UN convention on climate change presently sitting in Kyoto.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests the government to table a comprehensive response to this report.

An important overall conclusion of our committee is that the challenge of climate change offers a unique convergence of economic and environmental goals. The economy can only benefit from energy efficiency, energy innovation and the prolonged life of fossil fuel reserves through more careful consumption.