Debates of Dec. 9th, 1997

Sports And Cultural Events

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we made a commitment, we are working to fulfil it and we will do so, but it is a complex issue. Some legal considerations must be taken into account, and we must comply with the Constitution.

We will take action when we are ready to do so, not when instructed by tobacco companies.

Canada Foundation For Innovation

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

Mr. Speaker, I could have torn off my clothes when I heard about the PQ government's threat to cut funding to universities and research centres that receive subsidies from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

However, like a good Liberal, I refrained from doing so. Instead, I will put a question to the Minister of Industry: How will he reassure the universities and researchers who are being threatened and blackmailed by the PQ government?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I hope the hon. member will not tear off her clothes.

This is yet another example of the Quebec government's bickering. The PQ is trying to prevent Quebec researchers from doing innovative work in their province. The federal government has a tradition of subsidizing research and development in universities and research centres. We now have the most important foundation—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Okanagan—Coquihalla.

Kyoto

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have a reasonable question when it comes to the Kyoto deal. Single moms would like to know how much more it is going to cost them at the gas pump to put gas in their car. Families that are trying to put bread on the table want to know how much it is going to cost their family.

Surely the government did an economic study on the impact of Kyoto. Can the Prime Minister tell us now where is the study and can he produce it today?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I have replied many times to this question. I do not have to repeat it all the time. It is evident that this party has no position at all on the environment. It is well noted by all the parties and by the people of Canada that they do not care much about the environment. We do.

[Jim Hart, Reform, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we do care and we believe there must be a balance between the environment and economic stability in this country.

What we are asking is a very simple question. How did the government base its planning on the Kyoto deal? It has had three, four, five positions now. Does it have an economic study or not?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

We have discussed that with the provinces. All the provincial governments and the federal government have agreed that something has to be done, that we have to meet the level of 1990 sooner or later. It was agreed. In Canada there is only a little gang that does not believe we have to meet that commitment and I am looking at them.

Poverty

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

Today another report portrays the tragedy of a million and a half Canadian children living in poverty.

Last week it was food bank usage that doubled. The week before it was child poverty that had increased 58%. They all say that the child benefit is woefully inadequate.

In negotiations with ministers, will the Prime Minister commit to real targets to eliminate poverty and provide the resources to meet those targets?

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

Mr. Speaker, I commend the Canadian Council on Social Development for the report it tabled this morning. Its information is always very useful to the government.

The member is wrong when she says that every one of those reports condemned the government. Last week Campaign 2000 indicated that the national child benefit which we were setting up was exactly the way we should be working. The Government of Canada is working on income through the child tax credit. The provinces will be delivering programs in services, $1.7 billion over the next few years. That is quite a bit.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has clearly not heard what those reports are saying.

Will he at least recognize the disastrous performance of the government's youth employment strategy. Since the strategy was announced in 1996, 26,000 fewer young people are working. Instead of defending a failed strategy, will the minister put an effective plan for jobs for young people together now?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have just had the best six months and youth unemployment declined to 16.1%. This is the best we have had in 10 years.

Our youth employment strategy is working. Tomorrow I will be working with the Career Edge people to make sure that the private sector people do their part as well. The provinces also want to do their share. Things are going well. We are addressing it as a societal problem because they are the best educated we have ever produced.

[André Harvey, Progressive Conservative, Chicoutimi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is the only party in this House not to recognize poverty as an emergency.

My question is for the prime minister. Until recently, Canada had always shown great compassion for the underprivileged. But with the reduction in transfer payments to the provinces and the tightening up of requirements for employment insurance, there is an increasing number of poor people.

Should the government not be turning once again to basic needs, to what must be done to find clothing, food and shelter for the poorest Canadians? When will the government support the organizations that are trying to deal with these urgent needs?

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

Mr. Speaker, poverty in Canada is a great concern to us and we are fighting against it. In fact, my colleagues, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Finance, announced yesterday $1.5 billion more at the community level.

Last year, my colleague at the Department of Health provided $100 million more for the Child Community Action Program. Much money has been invested in the national child benefit. We realize that more has to be done. We realize that poverty is a tremendous problem here, and we are taking appropriate action.

[André Harvey, Progressive Conservative, Chicoutimi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I must admit that this is not easy to understand.

This government was elected on promises, including that it would scrap everything, scrap free trade, scrap the GST, scrap the helicopter deal, which, until now, has cost us close to $1 billion in delays, and even to scrap the country with Plan B plus.

What is the minister doing to fight suffering? Can the minister tell us how much money his government has provided for down-to-earth things like soup kitchens?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have implemented several very important tax credits over the last several years, and, through these credits, we have encouraged a large number of players in the private sector who are associated with volunteer organizations.

In addition to encouraging and supporting soup kitchens through the partnerships that we have with volunteer organizations, we are seeking to create an environment for the economy, and this of course is not understood by our friends from the Conservative Party because of the extremely bad management that prevailed under them. We had to overcome a deficit of $42 billion. I think that too many Canadians are still having a difficult time, but there are better days ahead.

Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade.

Some international economists have warned that the recent crisis in the Asian markets could have a negative impact on foreign companies doing business in that part of the world. Why is it that we are attempting to get countries in the Asia-Pacific to open their markets if it will have negative consequences for Canadian firms?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his very insightful question. It demonstrates that he understands that what happens in other parts of the world affects Canada. That is why we are in Kyoto. That is why we are pursuing trade liberalization around the world. We are not going to let a temporary blip in the economies of other countries deter us from pursuing that as far as we possibly can.

Canada is part of the world now and it is time the opposition parties recognized that.

Kyoto

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has steadfastly refused today to provide the House with the studies on which his government has based the economic impacts of Kyoto. We can only assume, therefore, that there are no studies, that the government actually went ahead and made these commitments on emission levels without a study of the economic impacts.

Just so we are crystal clear, is the Prime Minister saying that the government has no study on the economic impacts of the Kyoto deal?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have looked at all the aspects of the preoccupation of the Leader of the Opposition. I said that there will be some figures. A lot of figures were used.

The Leader of the Opposition mentioned 3% of GDP over a period of 20 years. In reality, there will be a lot more fluctuation in GDP predictions over two or three years. We had to face the reality that this is a global problem. What is important is to make sure that Canada is not in an unfavourable position—

Pay Equity

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Treasury Board President has obviously learned his negotiating skills from the minister responsible for Canada Post. Exaggerating union demands, discrediting union leaders, and blaming union members for the breakdown in negotiations are quite the bargaining techniques.

In the pay equity issue, why is the Treasury Board President walking away from the bargaining table and blaming the unions for the fact that a settlement has not been reached, instead of negotiating in good faith?

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

Mr. Speaker, I must say that I was sorry to see that the union has more than doubled the amount of its pay equity demands; it has gone from the $2 billion they first mentioned to $5.3 billion. I think this is clear evidence of the union's bad faith.

It is clear they do not want to negotiate and I think that, unfortunately, for the good of employees, it would be much better if the offer were submitted to them directly. I have challenged the union to put our offer to their employees so that they could vote on it.

Human Rights

[Gordon Earle, NDP, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is international human rights day. However, there is little to celebrate after this government's shameful performance at the APEC summit last month.

We learned this week that Musqueam Chief Gail Sparrow's address to APEC representatives was cancelled at the last minute, not because of the length of her speech as government officials stated, but because of her intention to raise the human rights question.

Will the Prime Minister come clean and apologize for the government's blatant and unjustified censorship of Chief Sparrow's speech?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to note that the APEC leaders' meeting, in recognition of the important role which our aboriginal community has played in Canada, was held at the Museum of Anthropology, which is one of Canada's finest exhibitions.

Furthermore, Chief Sparrow was given the opportunity to meet every single APEC leader directly and personally and talk to them, an honour afforded only to the Prime Minister himself. She was given the distinction of being able to meet and talk directly with all APEC leaders.

Ship Building

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

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

A few weeks ago, the minister asked me for some information from the ship-building industry that he could review before looking at a ship building policy.

My question is for this wonderful, handsome minister. Has he had an opportunity to review this information and will he now look at a ship building policy?