House of Commons Hansard #162 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was farmers.

Topics

Ice Breaking PolicyOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Gérard Asselin Bloc Charlevoix, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive—Île-aux-Coudres ferry in the riding of Charlevoix is the only existing road link for islanders.

Is the minister planning to exempt this ferry from ice breaking fees?

Ice Breaking PolicyOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the hon. member for his question, which is very much to the point.

The industry itself has not suggested a moratorium. Instead, it has come up with a proposal to pay part of the coast guard service provided to the commercial sector. That is the counter-proposal we are now examining.

TradeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Inky Mark Reform Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, as we witness today, there is a family feud shaping up between the trade minister and the heritage minister. The trade minister believes we should sit down and talk to the United States, but the heritage minister has launched a trade war with her split-run advertising bill.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Which member of the family does the Prime Minister support? The trade minister or the heritage minister?

TradeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we are working together as a team on behalf of all Canadians, unlike the Reform Party that does not believe in Canadian culture and that shows a grave question about whether it really believes in Canada.

TradeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Inky Mark Reform Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, it is our understanding that the U.S. trade representative may retaliate against the heritage minister's split-run advertising bill as early as this week.

How can we expect the Americans to call off a trade war against Canadian farmers when the heritage minister is annoying the Americans on the split-run bill?

TradeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, this bill is a bill introduced on behalf of the government which includes both the heritage and the trade ministers.

I really want to ask the hon. member why the Reform Party is acting like such a bunch of wimps when it comes to protecting the interests of Canada, whether it is culture or agriculture.

Ice Breaking PolicyOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, the matter of commercial ice breaking is not a problem just for the ferries. It is also a serious problem for the entire economic activity of the St. Lawrence ports.

My question is for the Minister of Fisheries. By having the St. Lawrence port users pay 80% of commercial ice breaking costs, while they generate only 33% of them, is the Minister of Fisheries not creating a considerable disadvantage which is likely to compromise their competitive edge and consequently the very survival of some of the St. Lawrence ports?

Ice Breaking PolicyOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, the original committee proposal was for the industry to pay 17.5% of the costs incurred by the coast guard to operate their icebreakers.

The committee submitted a counterproposal indicating that the industry is willing to pay half the costs. Industry representatives have never refused to pay part of the costs associated with the operation of icebreakers on the St. Lawrence River.

Ice Breaking PolicyOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères, QC

Mr. Speaker, since this whole matter seems to have been improvised from beginning to end, will the minister accept having his next fee proposal examined by a parliamentary committee mandated to examine all the consequences before it is implemented?

Ice Breaking PolicyOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, if a House committee wants to examine this, I would be quite agreeable to asking it to do so.

Do not forget, however, that this fee schedule has not been reviewed for three years. There have been proposals and counterproposals. That is common knowledge, and the industry itself has never indicated that it wanted a moratorium. It knew it was necessary to pay at least part of the government's ice breaking costs.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Garry Breitkreuz Reform Yorkton—Melville, SK

Mr. Speaker, the justice department should not be in the business of telling the police how to do their job, but that is what a justice official did on Friday. The public affairs director of the Canadian Firearms Centre said “Police will have the choice to interpret the new gun law loosely or tightly”.

Why is the justice department telling the police how to interpret the Criminal Code?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member fundamentally misunderstands the nature of the Criminal Code and jurisdiction over criminal law in this country.

In fact, right now law enforcement agencies and crown prosecutors have discretion in terms of how they go about enforcing sections of the Criminal Code. The police may choose, especially in relation to minor offences, to formally caution or warn as opposed to lay formal charges. There is nothing new about that.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Garry Breitkreuz Reform Yorkton—Melville, SK

Mr. Speaker, the minister's ill-conceived gun law is part of the Criminal Code of Canada. It is not the same as getting a speeding ticket.

The justice department is breaking the Criminal Code by counselling the police to not fully comply with the law passed by this parliament which includes all of the Criminal Code. Yet that is what the justice minister's official did.

Why is the justice department telling the police how to enforce the Criminal Code?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, we are not telling the police or crown prosecutors how to administer the criminal law of this land.

As I have already pointed out, discretion lies with the police, with crown prosecutors. They may choose to lay a formal charge. They may choose to caution or to warn in certain circumstances.

I find it passing strange that the hon. member and his party who are so opposed to gun control in this country would now argue for strict enforcement of those very provisions they are opposed to.

Bill C-55Oral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Benoît Sauvageau Bloc Repentigny, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Trade said on the weekend that the government was ready to water down its policy on Canadian advertising in foreign magazines, thereby contradicting not only the Minister of Canadian Heritage, but his own officials.

However, the office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage reported that the government would not be watering down Bill C-55.

What lobby is the Minister for International Trade caving in to to be in such contradiction with his own government?

Bill C-55Oral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

York West Ontario

Liberal

Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, there is no caving in anywhere. If the hon. gentleman took the time to read the article, he would find quotes from me talking about the minister of heritage who last week publicly said that if there are meaningful amendments while preserving the very essence of the bill, that she is open to hearing them from the committee. I said that if it is not too late to talk about those amendments, then why would we not want to talk to our best client and our best partner and in essence our best friend as well. It is completely within the same ambit of the government agenda.

EmploymentOral Question Period

November 30th, 1998 / 2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Murray Calder Liberal Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

Stats Canada last week released a report on employment in Canada from 1989 to 1997. We all know that unemployment still needs to be lowered. What is the minister doing to help Canadians find good jobs?

EmploymentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, since this government came to power in 1993, over 1.4 million more Canadians are working and unemployment has gone down from 11.4% to 8.1%, a drop of more than 3%. More needs to be done and we feel we are going in the right direction.

This government has a number of programs to help create jobs. Even our employment insurance system was redesigned to include measures to help people get back to work. There are 245,000 Canadians who have gone back to work, thanks to the active measures—

EmploymentOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Skeena.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Mike Scott Reform Skeena, BC

Mr. Speaker, today the B.C. legislature will begin debating the Nisga'a treaty, but the public will not be included in the debate just like they have never been allowed in the room during negotiations.

Since nearly 70% of British Columbians say they have not been properly consulted and want a province-wide referendum on this treaty, will the minister of Indian affairs accede to their wishes and commit here and now to a province-wide referendum on the Nisga'a treaty?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, the Nisga'a treaty is a historic undertaking among the Nisga'a, the province of British Columbia and the federal Government of Canada.

Negotiations have been going on for well over 20 years. I have travelled to the hon. member's riding and talked to citizens in that part of British Columbia. They feel they have been included. My view is that they want the treaty completed.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Mike Scott Reform Skeena, BC

Mr. Speaker, the people of British Columbia definitely do not feel included in this process, much as the minister protests to the contrary.

The people of British Columbia say they have not been included and over 70% say they want a say in a referendum on this precedent setting deal.

Does the minister not agree that saddling British Columbians with a treaty that does not enjoy broad public support is the worst disservice she could possibly do for all British Columbians, including the Nisga'a people?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, if we look at the contents of this treaty, we find that there are so many aspects that are positive for the Nisga'a, for the people of British Columbia and for Canada.

As I have said time and again, this is an historic undertaking. It has taken 20 years for us to come to this point.

This treaty will be debated fully in the House. I look forward to hearing from the hon. member as he joins in that debate.

Canada PostOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Mr. Speaker, this government through Canada Post has closed down thousands of postal outlets and then allowed small business to retail postage stamps.

Now not only will Canada Post commission a restructuring of stamp sales but it will also allow the big banks such as CIBC to sell stamps.

Why is the government allowing Canada Post to force thousands of small businesses into foreclosure, increase the already excessive profits of the big banks and further disrupt postal service in Canada?

Canada PostOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel Québec

Liberal

Alfonso Gagliano LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, since this government took office in 1993 we have never closed a post office.

We have the best postal operation in the world. We are working with all the franchise operators to make sure they continue to give the best service they can.

I am sure when the member learns all the details of the package he will agree with me.