Debates of Oct. 30th, 1998

Election Campaign In Quebec

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Would the Minister of Human Resources Development kindly shut up, Mr. Speaker?

Does the minister not realize that, by making these remarks, she is telling us that Jean Charest, the promised saviour, Ottawa's messenger, has absolutely nothing to offer, that the message is meaningless and that dissension is setting in among federalists?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the troublemakers are the Bloc Quebecois and the Parti Quebecois, who have created dissension among Quebeckers with all their talk about a referendum. Quebeckers have already given a clear answer to the question: the majority of them want to stay within Canada.

When the Bloc Quebecois and the Parti Quebecois campaign on a referendum, they cause dissension among Quebeckers.

The Constitution

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps boasting about meeting Quebec's traditional demands in the area of immigration, manpower training, education and more.

How does he explain the fact that, when the Liberals were in power in Quebec, he described these demands as mere whims but that, now that Quebec has a sovereignist government, he claims to have met them?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois and the Parti Quebecois do not have the interests of Quebeckers at heart. Their only goal is to promote sovereignty.

Their goal is to push through sovereignty and to hold a third referendum, as the Bloc Quebecois leader reminded us. It is to put a third referendum ahead of Quebeckers' interests.

Mr. Charest is the one promoting Quebeckers' real interests, namely economic growth and employment.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers in Sherbrooke know who is defending Quebec's interests in Ottawa.

What we know for sure it that nothing was ever settled in Quebec City under a federalist government. With all the bickering we witnessed this week, is it not time the minister realized federalists have absolutely nothing to offer Quebec but empty statements they cannot even agree on?

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

Mr. Speaker, every reform in recent years, every change in the past five years, every improvement in Quebec occurred while federalists were in power in Ottawa. It is because of the Liberal government's work on their behalf that Quebeckers have seen so much improvement.

Media Concentration

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, 17 years ago with greater diversity, yesterday's Liberals were concerned enough about media concentration to set up the Kent commission. Today with two chains about to control 70% of Canada's newspapers, Liberals just shrug.

Given the importance of editorial diversity in safeguarding democracy, will the government commit to legislation protecting editorial independence in the newsroom from ideological interference from the boardroom?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, it was the Liberal government that established the rules dealing with media concentration under the Competition Act. There is a process in place right now that will be followed.

The director of investigations will be looking at this takeover, if it goes ahead, to ensure that all aspects of the deal reflect the statute, that is whether there is undue concentration, whether there is freedom of expression, whether there is too much market penetration. All of these matters will be looked at and are provided for under the existing statute.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is alarming that the minister does not show any recognition that the competition policy provides no such terms of reference and no such protection for diversity and democracy.

The fact is Canadians do not want government to control the newsroom. They do not want the boardroom to control the newsroom. They want reporters to cover the news free of pressure and free of bullying.

Will this government back legislation to protect editorial independence?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the New Democratic Party is putting forward a highly subjective view of democracy in trying to say that parliament should legislate editorial content.

The NDP is the party that supposedly speaks for individual Canadians and is reflective of the popular will. Yet it is asking us to impose, or to put a set of rules in place to impose editorial content on newspapers.

The Competition Act is a valid act. It is there. It will be used in this case as with other cases. I believe we will address the issues.

Canada Pension Plan

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada pension plan is being tainted by Liberal political interference.

Bernard Dussault the former chief watchdog of the plan was fired because he refused to be muzzled by the finance minister's information police, the case review committee which screens all requests for their political sensitivity.

Dussault was asked twice to fudge the numbers to make the minister look better. Dussault objected. He was fired. Why the cover-up? Will the government tell the truth to Canadians about why it fired the man who knew too much?

[Tony Valeri, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has asked the question in the House before and he has got the answer.

The firing of Dussault is between Mr. Palmer and Mr. Dussault. It has nothing to do with the government. It has nothing to do with the Minister of Finance.

Perhaps this will be his supplementary question. There are normal procedures in place to deal with indemnification for civil servants engaged in legal disputes. A civil servant can make an application. If an application is made, it will be approved or disapproved according to Treasury Board rules.

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary mentioned John Palmer. Last night it was demonstrated that John Palmer, the former boss of Bernard Dussault, is being muzzled by the government.

Last night when I asked Mr. Palmer about the soundness of the Canada pension plan, about the case review committee and about Bernard Dussault's firing, Mr. Palmer asked the chairman of finance committee whether he could answer the question and the answer was no. He was muzzled and I was cut off from asking a legitimate question.

Why is there a conspiracy to muzzle? Why is the Canadian government hiding the truth about the Canada pension plan?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, whether or not the hon. member was ruled out of order by a chairman of a committee surely is not a subject for question period in the House of Commons. One would think there are real questions to ask around here.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on April 28, 1998, according to access to information, the Tsuu T'ina reserve was granted $50,000 by the government to provide crisis counselling to members of the Jacobs family and other crises that took place on this reserve.

I talked to the Jacobs family last week. According to them they have not received one minute of counselling, not one minute.

What was the $50,000 used for? Where did it go? What was it granted for? What is its whole purpose?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the minister and the department are concerned that the family and those affected by this tragedy receive the services including counselling that they require. I can assure the member and the House that the department and the minister are taking steps to ensure that is done.

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, not only did this family receive absolutely no benefits from the grief counselling money that was forwarded to the reserve, but an access to information request has shown that $22,000 was given to the same reserve for media expenses following this tragedy.

Can the minister tell us what the $22,000 was used for and how it helped the family of Connie and Ty Jacobs?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the department and the minister are committed to seeing that those affected by this tragedy receive the services they require. They will do everything in their power to see that is done.

Ice Breaking In Ports

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the day before yesterday, the fisheries minister tried to blame a committee of experts for his decision to have users of Quebec ports pay for 80% of ice breaking costs. Yet, the minister's words have nothing to do with the facts.

How can the minister claim that his decision is based on a committee that never recommended to have those who only use 50% of the service pay for 80% of ice breaking costs?

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

Mr. Speaker, this issue has been in the forefront for several years. In fact there has been intense consultation over the last four years.

If the member would only look at the supplementary estimates he would see that there were extra moneys for ice breaking as a result of those extensive consultations. The fact is that Canadian taxpayers are paying 82% of the cost of that ice breaking.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister keeps telling us that he only charges the industry 17% of ice breaking costs.

Is he aware that, according to the industry, this is not 17%, but actually 28%? The parliamentary secretary is not aware of the issue, but is the minister aware of it?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very well aware of the file because ice breaking fees are not only a problem for the province of Quebec. They are a problem for the eastern provinces in Atlantic Canada as well.

We have consulted extensively with the industry. The facts are that it is greater than 82% of the costs being covered by Canadian taxpayers.

Maybe the member should have a little lesson in geography because the facts are that when a commercial vessel goes to Quebec in the St. Lawrence it has to go around Newfoundland and that ice has to be broken as well.

Federal-Provincial Relations

[Val Meredith, Reform, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for the past week the government has pointed to minor administrative changes as an example of its willingness to work with the provinces. However, when the provinces ask for substantive changes like social union, Senate reform or control over the west coast fishery they are ignored.

If the Prime Minister is not prepared to make changes to lead the country into the 21st century, will he step aside?

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

Mr. Speaker, the changes that have been done in the past few years are not minor changes.

When we gave Quebec back the right of veto it had lost because of René Levesque a number of years ago, clearly it was a major change. By the way, in the same act British Columbia also got a regional veto.

If the member from the Reform Party believes that such a concession to British Columbia is minor, she should consult her voters once again.

Pearson International Airport

[Dale Johnston, Reform, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Labour will know that 520 support staff at Pearson International Airport have been on strike since October 2 and negotiations are at a standstill. While management and the union negotiate or battle in the media passengers are inconvenienced and workers are suffering.

The workers have had a seven wage freeze to contend with and now they are trying to subsist on strike pay. How many more sandwiches will be flattened on the tarmac before the minister recalls the parties back to the negotiating table?