House of Commons Hansard #166 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pops.

Topics

Atlantic Canada Opportunities AgencyOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

An hon. member

Your tone is terrible.

Atlantic Canada Opportunities AgencyOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Fred Mifflin Liberal Bonavista—Trinity—Conception, NL

If you want to know the answer to the question, pay attention.

It is difficult for these companies to get funding from other areas. I would ask the hon. member to comment on some of the difficulties that were experienced by the 35,000 successful projects that have operated in Atlantic Canada for the last 10 years.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB

Mr. Speaker, first nations leaders in Manitoba do not agree with the Deputy Prime Minister's self praises. They want a meeting with the Prime Minister.

Intolerable conditions on many reserves have driven them to consider desperate measures. Poverty and unemployment are widespread. Suicide and disease rates are many times higher than the national average. The United Nations has called these conditions subhuman. First nations are tired of the government's token gestures and they are tired of getting the runaround from Indian affairs.

Will the Prime Minister agree to meet with Manitoba's first nation leaders? A simple answer, yes or no?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, the litany of concerns that the hon. member brings forward was also presented to us in the work of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

As a result of that significant documentation, this government has taken new measures through “Gathering Strength—Canada's Aboriginal Action Plan” to recognize that we have to build a new structural relationship. We have to focus differently on areas of providing income support. We have to encourage educational curricula that will ensure children stay in school. We have to focus on new methods of providing housing on reserve. This is all part of the government's approach through “Gathering Strength” to ensure aboriginal people in Canada also feel the benefits of this great country.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Louise Hardy NDP Yukon, YT

Mr. Speaker, the land claim agreement for the Nisga'a people is now in the B.C. legislature. It faces bitter opposition from both the Liberal and Reform parties of B.C. So far the only defence and promotion of this agreement has come from the NDP. The minister's department did not acknowledge my request for a briefing.

How would the minister defend and promote this treaty? How will she convince B.C. Liberals that this agreement is essential to move the first nations people out of poverty?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, the Nisga'a treaty is a historic undertaking in the province of British Columbia. Over the past number of months, I have enjoyed being in that province going into communities and talking with municipal and business leaders and individual British Columbians about the importance of this treaty. I am very proud of the recognition our Prime Minister has given to the significance of this treaty and his point that we will introduce legislation to settle the Nisga'a treaty as soon as that legislation is available.

InfrastructureOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Norman E. Doyle Progressive Conservative St. John's East, NL

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

Statistics show that as of 1994, 93% of Canadians served by municipal sewer systems have at least primary sewage treatment. However, in Atlantic Canada more than 50% of the people had no sewage treatment at all.

Does the minister acknowledge a significant regional disparity in the level of sewage treatment in Atlantic Canada as compared with the rest of the nation? Would she not agree that the matter warrants a major federal initiative to reduce that disparity?

InfrastructureOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, one of the great priorities of this government is to ensure the necessary infrastructure is put in place for all Canadians to enjoy a very decent healthy life. There are disparities across the country.

It was this government some years ago that brought in the $2 billion infrastructure program which involved the municipalities, the provinces and the federal government. It was up to local authorities and provinces to choose those priorities. This program could address the concerns of the hon. member.

InfrastructureOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Norman E. Doyle Progressive Conservative St. John's East, NL

Mr. Speaker, given that answer and given the regional disparity in sewage systems in Atlantic Canada, would the minister not agree that major harbour clean-ups in places like St. John's, Newfoundland warrant a special infusion of federal dollars, not token dollars, but a meaningful contribution that will make possible the clean-up of St. John's harbour at least sometime in the next century?

InfrastructureOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Trinity—Spadina Ontario

Liberal

Tony Ianno LiberalParliamentary Secretary to President of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, as the minister indicated earlier, with the infrastructure projects $6.8 billion of good works were extended with the ability of partnerships with governments at all levels to work together.

We hope that at some point in the future there will be another opportunity to continue developing the infrastructure so badly needed in the country and to ensure environmental clean-up is part of the process. The sewers he is talking about are part of that process. We hope he continues to support the government on its infrastructure works.

Ice BreakingOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

John Maloney Liberal Erie—Lincoln, ON

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

Shipping companies in my region have serious concerns that the minister's ice-breaking fees will have serious financial implications possibly leading to business failures. Is the minister prepared to reduce these fees now before the winter season starts?

Ice BreakingOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, I certainly am. I would like to add to what I said earlier on the subject of ice-breaking fees. First, there will be no moratorium on fees. They will enter into effect on December 21 as originally planned. In addition there will be no changes to the constitutionally protected ferry runs, but for the levels of cost, they will be reduced for ferries 60% over the original proposal, and it will be 50% for other ships.

Aviation SafetyOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Reform

Lee Morrison Reform Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have no trouble finding hundreds of millions of dollars to finance their loopy gun registration scheme because they say it is a safety issue, but they cannot find any funds to improve or make adequate aviation inspection services.

The Minister of Transport bragged that 179 inspection positions have been generated in the last few years, but more than 70 of those positions are vacant and the department continues to lose a net average of four inspectors per month.

When will the minister address this real safety issue and why did he provide the House with spurious information?

Aviation SafetyOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I would never provide the House with spurious information.

The government is all about informing Canadians and members of the opposition with the true facts. I answered the question the other week. We have indeed increased the number of inspectors. I do not deny that because of attrition there are vacancies. This is being addressed by retraining, reclassification and recruitment. The bottom line is that Canada's aviation system is indeed safe.

Gm Plant In BoisbriandOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC

Mr. Speaker, Canadian Auto Workers President Buzz Hargrove has criticized the attitude of the Minister of Industry concerning the situation at the GM plant in Boisbriand.

According to him, “We got a far better response from Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry than from the federal Minister of Industry”.

What does the Minister of Industry have to say to workers who are concerned about the future of the GM plant in Boisbriand and need every possible assistance if their jobs are to be saved?

Gm Plant In BoisbriandOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, we have been working in close collaboration with GM management in the discussions on the future of the Boisbriand plant.

I am convinced that a solution can be found. It must be realized that, if GM invests in Boisbriand, some political certainty will be necessary.

Gm Plant In BoisbriandOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

An hon. member

Oh, oh.

Gm Plant In BoisbriandOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

John Manley Liberal Ottawa South, ON

The best thing Messrs. Landry and Bouchard can do to help the Boisbriand plant is to declare that there will be no referendum for at least ten years.

AgricultureOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Lorne Nystrom NDP Qu'Appelle, SK

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

The minister of agriculture has said that farmers might have to wait until after they file their income tax before they can expect a cash payment from the disaster plan. We know that the farmers cannot wait. This is the biggest crisis we have had since the Great Depression.

I would like the minister to answer a couple of direct questions. Can the minister assure the farmers that there will be a bankable announcement before Christmas? Will they have cash in their hands before spring seeding so that they can pay last year's bills before they plant next year's crops?

AgricultureOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, the minister's objective is obviously to make the most definitive announcement at the earliest possible date. He and his cabinet colleagues are working very much in that direction.

I would also note that one of the points clearly made by Premier Romanow when he campaigned against former Premier Devine in Saskatchewan was that in dealing with agricultural programs, especially disaster programs, it was important to avoid the ad hockery and the chicanery of Mulroney and Devine. We intend to follow that same pattern.

Lobster FisheryOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Mark Muise Progressive Conservative West Nova, NS

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Halifax Herald stated that lobster catches in St. Mary's Bay were down significantly, suggesting that fisheries could be headed for a disastrous season.

As everyone in this House knows, I have repeatedly called on the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to put an end to this illegal lobster fishing before it seriously affects the livelihoods of thousands of commercial lobster fishermen.

Will the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans acknowledge that our fishers' worst fears are being realized and that the illegal lobster fishing has led to a decline in catches?

Lobster FisheryOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, I certainly welcome the hon. member's interest in this issue. I can assure him that only yesterday I was in consultation with the premier and minister of fisheries of Nova Scotia. I have also been in consultations with my colleague the solicitor general.

We will be setting up joint federal-provincial task forces to work on the lobster smuggling issue. We will not simply be doing that at the site of the boats and the docks. We will be going after trucks. We will be going on the highways and will be at the border. We will be going after restaurants. Anybody who buys poached lobsters can be sure that they will be prosecuted.

AgricultureOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

John Harvard Liberal Charleswood—Assiniboine, MB

Mr. Speaker, the minister responsible for the wheat board announced minutes ago an agreement between Canada and the United States. I want to know whether this means that Canada has received a commitment from the United States to foster increased two way trade in agriculture and agri-food products rather than pursuing trade-disrupting political actions.

AgricultureOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, that is very much the spirit of the agreement. I would repeat that there are no quantitative limits and no caps on Canadians exports. There is no new audit of Canadian grain marketing systems.

It is agreed that all sanitary and phytosanitary issues are to be resolved on the basis of sound science and sound science alone. We have built in insulation against U.S. trade harassment possibilities, either those that are self-initiated by the U.S. administration or those that are launched by individual states.

We want to defuse border tensions and facilitate two way trade. We believe this agreement will help.

PrisonsOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Reform

Gurmant Grewal Reform Surrey Central, BC

Mr. Speaker, inmate Lawrence Stocking blew the whistle on rampant drug use in Canadian prisons. Guess what? He was transferred to a maximum security prison where he mysteriously died.

Why was he transferred? Was it to save this government from the embarrassment of drug use in our prisons?