Debates of Nov. 16th, 1998

Budget Surplus

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, seriously, I am asking the Minister of Finance, now that the members of the cabinet realize that they do not contribute to the employment insurance fund, as they thought they did up until last week, whether they do not find it quite simply immoral to vote in favour of a tax reduction for themselves from an employment insurance program to which they do not even contribute? Is this not immoral?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, if Bloc Quebecois members are opposed to reducing the taxes paid by our seniors, if they are opposed to lower taxes for the middle class, for self-employed people, that is up to them.

We, on the other hand, intend to continue to reduce the tax burden for Canadian taxpayers, just as we did in the last budget.

Taxation

[Ken Epp, Reform, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister wants Canadians to believe that he has brought tax cuts. Maybe he is thinking about tax cuts in the countries of Liberia, Barbados and Bermuda where certain steamship lines are registered. However a local restaurant cannot avoid the finance minister's taxes by flying a Liberian flag and a corner barbershop cannot hide assets by registering in Barbados.

When will the finance minister treat ordinary taxpayers to the same low taxes that companies like CSL enjoy offshore?

[The Speaker]

I would ask members to be very judicious in their choice of words. We sometimes come close to attacking each other personally and I would prefer that this would cease.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we will preserve the health care system in this country. We will preserve the social safety net.

The hon. member is recommending on behalf of his party a social safety net comparable to that of Liberia. They are recommending a health care system comparable to that of Liberia. That is where they have probably chosen their social model from. Not us. This is an advanced and progressive country and we will not listen to Reform.

[Gerry Ritz, Reform, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister thinks his $10 billion in overtaxation is something to celebrate. For him it may well be. By his definition anybody less than a millionaire is middle class and a tax target.

[The Speaker]

I want the hon. member to go to his question.

[Gerry Ritz, Reform, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Two million Canadians earn less than $10,000 a year but they still pay his high EI rate—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Drummond.

Health

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, health and environmental organizations are condemning Health Canada's inaction and that of its minister regarding toys containing toxic products that exceed up to ten times the existing standard, threatening children's health.

Since the minister has known for one year the real danger posed by these toys, which were banned by the European community, how can he justify not having taken any measures to protect our children's health?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we have already taken action. Today, Health Canada issued a health notice on the products referred to by the hon. member.

Today as a precautionary measure Health Canada announced as a warning to all parents that they should remove from the home certain objects that are made of vinyl and that are used or designed for use in the mouth of infants and young children. We are co-operating with the Retail Council of Canada to remove those objects from the shelves of stores across the country.

In addition—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Charleswood St. James—Assiniboia.

Government Programs

[John Harvard, Liberal, Charleswood—Assiniboine, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the government is on record as reducing duplication and overlap in administering its programs and services.

Therefore I ask the Secretary of State for Western Economic Diversification why WD has opened a new office in Calgary. Is this efficient use of taxpayers' money?

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Secretary of State (Science]

Mr. Speaker, WD is bringing a service to the people. WD has over 100 points of service in the four western provinces, 90 community futures development corporations, four women's enterprise centres and a one-stop business development centre to serve the people locally.

Calgary is the gateway to southern Alberta and to the large market of the United States. It is doing business with the people locally to assist them with their particular needs. It is good business.

Acoa

[Rob Anders, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, another day, another ACOA scandal. The Canadian Blood Bank Corporation has been bleeding the public purse for almost $10 million while the government has done nothing to protect taxpayers.

This small company with big Liberal connections was funded by the ministers for ACOA and human resources. Now Blood Bank Corporation has shut its doors and is being sued by creditors. The Newfoundland government had the sense to secure its $500,000 loan to the company. Why did the government not do the same?

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member knows that because there is a court case involved I cannot report on the specifics. What I can say is that ACOA recognizes the comparatively high risk and the potential high gain from sectors such as biotechnology.

ACOA will continue to fill the critical financing gap that is caused by the high prospect technology base start-ups which traditional financial institutions are sometimes reluctant to do. We are not ashamed of that.

[Rob Anders, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that is unacceptable. I do not know how the minister could stand in this place and defend this deal.

This company gained notoriety claiming it had a $300 million deal with China after returning from a team Canada trade mission. It was given $2.5 million taxpayer dollars claiming it would store people's blood but it cannot show any clients. It became a public company on the strength of these assertions but they were not true.

Will the minister immediately investigate this shameful mismanagement of public funds?

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)]

Mr. Speaker, I find the hon. member's attitude toward Atlantic Canada and ACOA unacceptable and I will tell you why, Mr. Speaker. ACOA produces for Atlantic Canada 13,000 jobs every year. The Reform Party does not like it. Post TAGS has looked after 25,000 displaced fishermen and plant workers. The Reform Party is against it.

If the hon. member and his party are interested in getting any seats in Atlantic Canada, they had better get their act together.

Agriculture

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of agriculture's response to the growing farm income crisis is to say that farmers may have to drain their net income stabilization accounts before he will introduce a disaster relief program. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture says there are many important reasons that farmers should not first have to use their NISA including the fact that by so doing a farmer might be penalized for prudent management.

When will the minister stop pretending NISA is the answer to this genuine crisis and announce a disaster relief program?

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

Mr. Speaker, in co-operation with the provinces and the industry, this government and governments before it have put in place a number of risk management tools with the agriculture industry.

We are working with the industry and the provinces to make sure that every farmer makes absolute use of those if they possibly can. We are also working to do what we can as quickly as we can to address any needs beyond those.

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, under any scenario, funds will not flow to farmers before next March. By then the minister knows full well that it will be too late for thousands of farmers who face a genuine disaster now.

The minister hinted at some disaster relief 10 days ago at the United Grain Growers Convention in Regina but as anyone knows, you cannot go to the banker with a hint.

I ask again, when does the agriculture minister plan to announce a disaster relief fund to help desperate Canadian farmers?

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

Mr. Speaker, I repeatedly tell the member and the industry out there, and the industry knows and the member knows, that we are working as quickly and as thoroughly as we possibly can in order to put together the best help that we can to assist those in the industry who need it the most.

Canadian Environmental Protection Act

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

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

The environment committee is undergoing a clause by clause review of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, known as Bill C-32. This bill, which was co-sponsored by the minister and the Minister of the Environment, has come under attack by environmentalists and health organizations as it fails to protect Canadians from harmful toxic substances. Substances that have damaging effects on the endocrine systems of living organisms will not be considered toxic under the assessment criteria in this bill.

Will the Minister of Health announce today that he will endorse the amendments to improve this bill's capacity to capture these harmful substances?

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

Mr. Speaker, in fact Canadians are worried about the effects of pollution on their health and the health of their children.

The environmental protection act is currently before the House in clause by clause study as the member has mentioned. It will in fact give us important tools in addressing pollution and setting strict new guidelines for taking action on toxic substances.

I think the member is prejudging the clause by clause process and that would be inappropriate at this time.

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health, the co-sponsor of this bill. Canadians want to know what the Minister of Health has to say about the issue.

Committee members, including the Liberal members for York North and Lac-Saint-Louis, suggested amendments to improve the bill. But they need the government's support. So far, the government has rejected all the proposed changes to better protect Canadians' health.

Will the Minister of Health finally listen to the backbenchers in his own party and support their request regarding an endocrine system?