Debates of Oct. 5th, 1998

Apec Summit

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

Mr. Speaker, William Kaplan's recent book Presumed Guilty outlines many disturbing details about the Liberal government's politicized relationship with the RCMP. One such detail is a briefing note in August 1995 on the Airbus investigation for the then solicitor general.

In light of documented intervention of the Prime Minister's Office into RCMP security at APEC, I ask a question of our current solicitor general. Did he receive a similar briefing note from the Prime Minister's Office instructing him on the role of the RCMP during the APEC summit?

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the security arrangements around APEC were completely and entirely the responsibility of the RCMP. I have been assured by the RCMP since the conference on many occasions that it is entirely security decisions. The RCMP will be speaking to these questions during the hearings that have started today.

Endangered Species

[Susan Whelan, Liberal, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has an obligation to protect its endangered species and to meet our international commitments.

How is the Minister of the Environment ensuring that we protect endangered species in Canada today?

[Christine Stewart, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for this important question because certainly the issue of endangered species is of great concern to Canadians at large.

My department for many years has put in place policies, legislation and regulations to protect endangered species. Part of my staff in the Canadian Wildlife Service has also worked hard to develop science and encourage stewardship on the part of Canadians, but a lot more has to be done.

I am working with the stakeholders, the provinces and the territories to develop a national accord which will put in place an effective and meaningful safety net for all endangered species, and I will introduce legislation—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for South Surrey—White Rock—Langley.

Social Union

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

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised that the Liberals continue to get away with misusing question period.

Canadians are watching a unique debate in the House of Commons where four opposition parties are joining with all 10 premiers in the country to promote the social union. Only the Prime Minister and his federal Liberals oppose this initiative.

I ask the Deputy Prime Minister why the government is doing less.

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it certainly takes a lot of nerve for a Reform member to complain about the misuse of question period. When it comes to misuse of question period they have set a standard which I do not think has been matched by any party in the past for low level or degree.

I further want to say that the government wants to work with the provinces on a sound social union concept which protects the national interest.

Why does not the Reform want to support—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Témiscamingue.

Scrapie

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

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

The Minister of Agriculture has announced that there would be no retroactive compensation for sheep farmers whose flocks are affected by scrapie.

Does the minister consider it acceptable that the people first affected by this problem, those who respected the law and reported the problem to the department, thus preventing spread of the disease, are those ones now getting the least compensation and being penalized by this government?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times in the House, we are treating sheep farmers who had their flocks destroyed to some extent, and some of them completely I will admit, because of the reportable disease in Canada in exactly the same way in which we treat reportable diseases in livestock and flocks across the country.

We had an excellent meeting with the industry on Friday morning. I continue to look forward to a very good resolution of this issue.

Apec Summit

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the solicitor general.

This minister who said on Thursday that he would cover for the Prime Minister at the APEC inquiry is the same minister who denied legal funds to students at the inquiry trying to get at the truth about the role of his friend, the Prime Minister.

In view of the fact that the minister's cover has now been blown and his critical independence as solicitor general is gone, will he do the honourable thing and resign as solicitor general?

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. member understands there is a process in place to get to the truth. It is a process that I have defended in the House quite consistently for the last couple of weeks.

That process has to be allowed to get to the truth. I am sure they will speak to whomever they need to, to get to the truth.

Industrial Development

[André Harvey, Progressive Conservative, Chicoutimi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board.

While the government is reaping the benefits of free trade, of the GST which was never scrapped, of the surplus contributions to employment insurance, I would like to ask the minister whether he intends to reinstate a program of industrial development.

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, there are several industrial expansion programs throughout Canada. This is a rather odd question.

International Aid

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians our sympathies always go to people caught in desperate situations as a result of national and natural disasters.

Recently thousands of people have been left homeless and without food in southern Mexico as a result of extensive flooding. Could the Minister for International Cooperation tell us if and what our government is doing to help the flood victims in Mexico?

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

Mr. Speaker, CIDA has been working with NGOs for many years in Mexico to address poverty alleviation and human rights.

As a result of the recent floods, CIDA has offered additional humanitarian help in the form of about $150,000 where we will work with the Pan American Health Organization to help alleviate some of the problems faced there.

The Senate

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in two weeks hundreds of thousands of Albertans are going to democratically vote for the next senator. However the Prime Minister and the justice minister from Alberta have scoffed at this democratic initiative calling Alberta's dream a joke.

I want to know, other than just mindlessly insulting any idea that comes from Premier Klein, what exactly would the minister from Alberta suggest to make the Senate more democratic?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of abusing question period, what is the hon. member doing by creating the impression that a minister can answer because she comes from a region? That is contrary to our rules.

As far as making the process more democratic, the hon. member might explain why Premier Klein's party is not running a candidate and why the federal Conservative Party is not running a candidate. He might explain why this election has no provision for re-election. It makes things democratic when one has to stand for re-election.

Kosovo

[Daniel Turp, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during the summer, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said he was exasperated by the international community's slow response to the inhuman situation in the Kosovo region. In a motion adopted last week, the House of Commons reiterated its consternation with regard to the atrocities inflicted upon the people of that region.

Can the minister tell the House now if Canada is ready to disregard Russia's objection and to take part in NATO's military strikes in the Kosovo region?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity in New York on Friday to meet with the Secretary General of the United Nations to talk about the Kosovo situation, as well as a number of members of the security council.

At that time it was indicated very clearly that the secretary general would be tabling a report today from the security council. It is certainly our opinion that the security council ought to live up to its responsibilities to deal adequately with the humanitarian tragedy that is taking place. We will wait to see what the security council does this week before we decide.

Automotive Industry

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

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

For 35 years the Volvo assembly plant has been in Halifax. It has now built a vehicle that has been proclaimed the number one car built in North America for two years in a row.

Because of Bill C-11, the auto tariff reduction bill, this money making plant is moving to Mexico, throwing 223 hard working Nova Scotians out of work.

Why are the Prime Minister and the Liberal government destroying auto industry jobs in this country? What are they going to do to help the 223 workers they have now put on the unemployment line?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, first of all the plant is not moving to Mexico.

Second, it has nothing to do with Bill C-11.

Third, let me say that it is true the government does want to do whatever is possible to work with local organizations in the Halifax region, work with Volvo and work with the workers to try to find solutions to the situation there.

However, it is not helpful to hear empty and false rhetoric from the NDP that has nothing to do with the reality of the situation.

Industrial Development

[André Harvey, Progressive Conservative, Chicoutimi, QC]

Madam Speaker, I persist in putting my question to the President of the Treasury Board knowing how familiar he is with program review.

Since there are many projects in Quebec waiting for federal support and since we can no longer count strictly on the good faith and goodwill of the minister responsible for economic development, does the minister intend to co-operate with his colleagues in restoring an industrial development program?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague is talking about an infrastructure program. I believe we have already indicated that infrastructure projects that meet the needs of the three levels of government have been chosen in conjunction with the provinces, including Quebec.

There may be another infrastructure program in a future budget, but that has yet to be determined.

Transportation

[Gurbax Malhi, Liberal, Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, since my riding of Bramalea—Gore—Malton—Springdale encompasses Pearson International Airport as well as many major roads and railway lines, I am concerned about the computer systems associated with transportation.

Could the Minister of Transport say what he is doing to promote industry awareness of the potential transportation problems associated with the year 2000 computer problem?