Debates of Oct. 30th, 1998

Transport

[Gerald Keddy, Progressive Conservative, South Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the era of post-panamax shipping is upon us. The port of Halifax is ideally suited for growth at the expense of our international competitors.

Yet the government risks losing this opportunity because the current port authority structure does not represent local interests. The Metropolitan Halifax Chamber of Commerce, the Halifax Shipping Association and the International Longshoremen's Association have proposed a new management structure to the Minister of Transport. Will the minister commit to these needed changes?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where my hon. friend has been for the last couple of years. We just passed Bill C-9 which establishes Canada port authorities across the country with one federal nominee, one provincial nominee and one municipal nominee along with four nominees selected in consultation with users. The hon. member is trying to change a law passed earlier this year by the House.

The Halifax port authority will be treated like all other port authorities. Consultation has been going on. We have formed an advisory group representative of some of the interests he raised. It is representative through a selection of nominees that reflects user concerns.

[Gerald Keddy, Progressive Conservative, South Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, more than 20,000 future jobs in the region may be at stake if the full potential of the port of Halifax is not maximized. We need changes that reflect the economic needs of Atlantic Canada, not the control needs of the minister.

The joint proposal to alter the port authority is consistent with the new Canada Marine Act. In 1997 the predecessor of the Minister of Transport promised to provide local interests with a strong voice in the port's direction. This voice would make Halifax a panamax player instead of a port that unloads the top layer of containers on ships headed for New York.

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, once again the hon. member has his facts wrong. All the local interest groups in Halifax have been consulted as to the selection of members for this board. They will reflect a broad range of interests dealing with users.

The hon. member should go back to Halifax, talk with those individuals and generate a good selection of candidates so we will be able to have a first class board that will lead Halifax into the post-panamax world.

Kosovo

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs will know that international concern over the situation in Kosovo continues notwithstanding the last minute pullout of Serbian troops and heavily armed police. Can the parliamentary secretary provide the House of Commons with an update on the situation in Kosovo especially as it relates to Canadian participation in the 2000-strong verification force?

[Julian Reed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for this important question. It gives us an opportunity to report to the House. We are in the implementation stages of the agreement that has been struck. Canada has committed to send verifiers. The House might be interested to know that many Canadians have expressed an interest in going to Kosovo and serving as verifiers. We are compiling a list at the present time and we will be submitting it very shortly.

I am happy to report to the House that humanitarian aid is getting through to the victims. Canada has now raised its commitment to—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Calgary East.

Magazine Industry

[Deepak Obhrai, Reform, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the heritage minister's ban on Canadian advertising in foreign magazines is one of the most intrusive pieces of legislation ever. The government's own studies indicate that lifting the ban would increase advertising revenue by 60%, creating more work for Canadians involved in the magazine sector. Why is she putting shackles on the growth of the Canadian magazine industry?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, it is amazing that the shackles I am putting on are support for Canadian voices. The legislation is supported by every single party in this House except the Reform Party. Before the hon. member continues his campaign of disinformation, I underscore that this legislation will help the Western Catholic Reporter , Legion magazine, Today's Parent , Owl , Mennonite News , Chatelaine , Anglican Journal , Essential , Living with Christ: Complete Edition , Canadian League , L'essential , Journeaux du Barreau , The Mennonite Brethren Herald , Prairie Messenger —

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Jonquière.

The Environment

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the day before yesterday, in answer to a question about the position of the federal government concerning the negotiations to be held in Buenos Aires next week, the minister was unable to set out the position of the government in this area.

Can the minister tell us if she intends to pull another Tokyo on us and make a last minute decision on the plane as she did last time?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government has been working with over 450 scientists from across the country to develop an appropriate plan to make sure Canada will join the minus six society and make some of the important changes needed for this country and the world. I hope the member will support the enforcement of health and environment standards in Canada.

Pearson International Airport

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the busiest airport in the country is operating at bare minimum safety standards because of a lengthy work stoppage there.

First there was a near collision between a 747 and a Dash 8 and then the accident between an aircraft and a food services truck. Now for the second time landing lighting systems have broken down. It is only a matter of time before we have a major disaster at Pearson airport.

Will the Minister of Labour act now and fix the broken mediation process, assign a senior mediator to these talks and put the strike to an end before somebody gets killed?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has raised a number of concerns which are not valid.

First of all, Pearson airport is operating safely. There have been some problems but our officials have been on the spot around the clock looking at the safety issues during this labour dispute.

What is of great concern is there appears to have been a criminal act conducted on the approach lights. That is being investigated not only by Transport Canada but by the local police because this could be a criminal matter.

Fisheries

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

Mr. Speaker, in June the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans denied quota applications from Canso, Mulgrave and Lismore, three Nova Scotia communities requesting a share of the additional 7,000 tonne northern shrimp quota.

The minister's trite and insulting answer at that time was the fish come first. Obviously the minister was telling us that Nova Scotia comes last.

I ask the parliamentary secretary to the minister how the minister can justify slamming the door on three communities, basically threatening their future existence.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, I am shocked by what I am hearing from the member opposite because what he is doing is really speaking in contradiction to what some of his other members are saying in committee.

In terms of Canso, what Canso wants to do is use foreign vessels to catch its quota. The minister, on the other hand, wants to Canadianize the fisheries.

I wish the Tory party would get its act straight and get on the same wavelength.

Steel Industry

[John Richardson, Liberal, Perth—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I bring to the attention of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade that an investigation in the U.S. is underway with the potential to affect the steel industry in Canada.

Could the parliamentary secretary give some reassurance to steel makers in Canada that Canada is prepared to take action on this issue?

[Bob Speller, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I can give these assurance.

NAFTA provides protection to those Canadian steel producers which export to the United States.

At the moment we do not know if the United States steel industry will petition, but if it does we know from NAFTA that Canada is excluded from safeguard action as long as it is not a substantial contributor to the serious injury.

Our steel industry is a good steel industry and we are fair traders. We will continue to protect it.

Veterans Affairs

[Peter Goldring, Reform, Edmonton East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in 1955 the Canadian government conspired with England and sold out Hong Kong veterans' claim rights.

In June the minister promised to investigate but has sat on his hands and has remained mute since. Japan enslaved our soldiers for four years and Canada has shafted them for another 50.

When will the minister publicly apologize for this terrible wrong and provide the long deserved recompense?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Veterans Affairs is very concerned about this matter and he has indicated before in this House that he is looking into it. He is trying to come to a resolution of this matter as quickly as possible.

Fisheries

[René Canuel, Bloc, Matapédia—Matane, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

In August, the coast guard brutally boarded the vessels of Gaspé fishers participating in a peaceful demonstration against the minister's incompetence. Today, we learned that the minister is making a disgraceful situation even worse by laying charges against the very people his irresponsible policies are hurting.

Does the minister recognize that the fishers were reacting to his inertia and that he is now making matters worse by taking steps to have them—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, it would be inappropriate for me to speak on a case that is already before the courts. I certainly can tell the member that if one is caught fishing with no licence in a closed zone in Quebec, P.E.I. or anywhere else in Canada, one will be charged. We are trying to maintain the fisheries for the future and prevent illegal fishing.

Housing

[Bev Desjarlais, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Night Rider program in Thompson provides emergency shelter to people in need. Now it has become the victim of the government's cost cutting. Cuts to transfer payments have left the province, city and surrounding communities searching for enough money to make up for the government's abandonment. Night Rider serves local people as well as some nearby First Nations who rely on it because the government does not provide adequate housing on reserves.

There has already been snow in Thompson and winter temperatures drop below minus 40. If Night Rider goes under, people will die.

Will the government ensure funding for the Night Rider program or will it let Canadians freeze to death on the streets?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, there is quite a concern regarding homelessness across the country. It affects not only the larger communities but it also affects smaller towns.

There is a long term solution and a short term solution. The long term solution involves not only the federal government, the provincial government but also the municipal government. It deals with matters of social assistance. It deals with the issues of cutbacks as a result of government belt tightening. It also deals with the deinstitutionalization of many people who were in hospitals but are now on the streets.

This is a complex problem and we should all work together to solve it.