Debates of Oct. 23rd, 1998

Canada Customs And Revenue Agency

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is referring to Aéroports de Montréal and other corporations throughout the country.

A bill was passed here in the House of Commons creating a non-profit corporation to run airports. This corporation is subject to an act of Parliament. I therefore think there is accountability in this case.

The Environment

[Louise Hardy, NDP, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of the Environment. The Marwell tar pit is located in the centre of the city of Whitehorse, Yukon and it has been designated a contaminated site. For decades it has been draining toxins, including PCBs, into the water system. A man was trapped and died in the tar pit.

Under these conditions I would like the minister to make a commitment to clean up this tar pit.

[Paddy Torsney, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I will undertake to take the information from the hon. member, to look into the situation and to take whatever appropriate action is necessary. I would like to thank the hon. member for her question.

Apec Inquiry

[Charlie Penson, Reform, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, for two months we have heard in this House the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister dancing their fancy legal footwork trying to hide the Prime Minister's involvement in the APEC inquiry.

The developments today are the last straw. Canadians have absolutely no confidence in this inquiry. Canadians have no confidence in this Liberal government on this issue. When are we going to have a full-fledged judicial inquiry to get to the truth?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I reject the premise of the hon. member's question. Do I look like someone capable of fancy footwork?

I would say to the hon. member, please get real. I am trying to give straightforward, useful answers and in that context I want to say to the hon. member thanks again for the vote of confidence in this government when he calls upon it to set up an independent inquiry.

We have an independent body created by this parliament in the form of the public complaints commission. Please remember that.

Kosovo

[George Proud, Liberal, Hillsborough, PE]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been following the recent crisis in Kosovo with great concern. It is important to remember the tremendous human costs caused by such conflicts. There are currently 200,000 refugees who have fled to avoid the conflict. What steps have been taken to provide for these people?

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

Mr. Speaker, the refugees of Kosovo are facing a very difficult winter. As a result of that, yesterday I announced we would send $2 million in humanitarian assistance through such NGOs as CARE Canada, the International Red Cross and the world food program. This is in addition to $1 million in humanitarian assistance we sent over the spring and summer.

All of us should be very concerned and continue to support these refugees as they face a terrible time.

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 ten petitions.

Petitions

[Philip Mayfield, Reform, Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present to the House a petition signed by residents primarily from the area of Williams Lake. These petitioners request that parliament amend the Marriage Act so as to define in statute that a marriage can only be entered into between a single male and a single female.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from citizens of the general Peterborough area. They are concerned about the fact that 4.5 Canadians are killed every day as a result of alcohol related vehicular crashes. They humbly pray that parliament immediately amend the Criminal Code so that any crash resulting in injury constitutes reasonable and probable grounds for blood or breath testing of drivers and that law enforcement agencies are able to use the latest technologies for roadside testing.

They urge the federal government to strongly support and provide encouragement to jurisdictions to continue to introduce administrative sanctions against drinking and driving.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a second petition which is from petitioners in the Peterborough area who are concerned that Bill C-47 that bans human cloning and prohibits some activities surrounding new reproductive and genetic technologies in Canada has lapsed.

The petitioners call upon parliament to enact legislation regarding a ban on human cloning. They point to the need to legislate in the area of reproductive and genetic technologies to ensure the health and safety of those affected by such practices.

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by many constituents here in the national capital region who are calling on parliament to amend the Divorce Act to include the provision as supported in Bill C-340 regarding the right of spouses, parents and grandparents for access to or custody of the children or the child.

[John Cannis, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today that has been signed by individuals in my riding and many individuals outside my riding. It simply asks parliament to appeal to the president and the entire Government of Indonesia basically to protect the human rights of the ethnic Chinese in that country and to call an end to racial and religious discrimination in Indonesia.

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions here concerning the MAI, which we all know is dead. Nevertheless these petitioners would want to note, as they do in their petitions, that the government should reject the current framework of MAI negotiations and instruct the government to seek an entirely different agreement by which the world might achieve a rules based global trading regime that protects workers, the environment and the ability of governments to act in the public interest, instead of looking for other venues such as the World Trade Organization or the FTAA to replicate NAFTA.

The government should be rethinking NAFTA and particularly those elements of it that the rest of the industrialized world was so reluctant to adopt. Why should Canada be one of the few nations in the world to be exposed to such unacceptable provisions?

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have three brief petitions for the House today. The first has to do with human rights.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that this year is the 50th anniversary of universal human rights. Whereas Canada is an internationally recognized leader promoting human rights around the world, the petitioners call on Canada to appeal for action by leaders of countries where human rights are not being protected and to seek to bring to justice those responsible for the violation of internationally recognized human rights.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

The second petition, Mr. Speaker, has to do with the CRTC. The petitioners want to bring to the attention of the House that the CRTC has refused a licence for religious television broadcasters but did license the Playboy channel. They want to bring to the attention of the House that parliament should review the mandate of the CRTC and direct the CRTC to administer a new policy which will encourage the licensing of religious broadcasters.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

The final petition, Mr. Speaker, has to do with our police officers and firefighters. The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that our police officers and firefighters are required to place their lives at risk on a daily basis as they discharge their duties and that the employment benefits of police officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty are often not sufficient to care for their surviving families.

The petitioners therefore pray and call upon parliament to establish a public safety officers compensation fund for the benefit of families of public safety officers, being police officers and firefighters, who are killed in the line of duty.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. These petitions are signed by grandparents who following the death, separation or divorce of their children no longer have access to their grandchildren. They request parliament to amend the Divorce Act so that they will therefore from now on have access to or custody of their grandchildren.

Questions On The Order Paper

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

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 110 and 127. .[Text]

Question No. 110—

[Chris Axworthy, NDP, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

With regards to the four recently acquired British submarines, what are the precise figures for: ( a ) the installation of the Air Independent Propulsion (A.I.P.) refit; ( b ) the new communications systems; ( c ) shore facilities; ( d ) modifications to meet Canadians standards; and ( e ) the total overall cost of the submarines?

[The Hon. Arthur C. Eggleton (Minister of National Defence, Lib.)]

The UPHOLDER project was recenlty approved by the Treasury Board at a total of $750 million current year 1998-99. The project consist of $610 million current year 1998-99, for the U.K. package—submarines, trainers, technical data, crew training, and initial spares and $140 million current year 1998-99 for other project costs—essential Canadian modifications, infrastructure, including the repatriation of the trainers, project management and contingency.

The cost of the new communications systems, shore facilities—trainers—and modifications to meet Canadian standards are budgeted for within the $140 million, current year 1998-99, envelope for other project costs. Precise costs for these requirements will not be known until detailed definition and contract negotiations are completed.

The installation of an air independent propulsion system is not part of the UPHOLDER project. AIP is currently at the “proof of concept” stage at Ballard Power Systems in Vancouver. To date, the Department of National Defence's investment in the research and development amounts to approximately $8 million.

The full development of a submarine AIP system, including its installation in the four submarines, is estimated at potentially several hundred million dollars over an 18-year period. As the estimate is for planning purposes only, and will have to be carefully evaluated for affordability within the defence services program, the estimate cannot de released publicly at this time.

Question No. 127—

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

How much money was collected for each of the user fees levied by Transport Canada and its agencies for fiscal years 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98?

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

I ask, Mr. Speaker, that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.