Debates of Feb. 16th, 1998

Health

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right to say the Hepatitis C Society has made some constructive suggestions in this regard.

Since the receipt of the Krever report and the careful analysis of the history and the recommendations for the future, we have worked with the Hepatitis C Society and other interested groups to prepare ourselves for this meeting tomorrow. I very much hope that by the end of the day tomorrow we are going to be able to announce that the provinces and the federal government can approach this difficult problem with a common answer.

Bill C-28

[Yvan Loubier, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as regards Bill C-28, sponsored by a minister who is both a legislator and a shipowner, the four opposition parties are joining their voices in unanimously asking that a special committee be immediately established to shed light on the real, potential or apparent conflict of interest involving the Minister of Finance.

If the Prime Minister wants to protect his government's integrity, should he not accept the unanimous request made by all opposition parties to shed light on the dangerous position in which the Minister of Finance put himself?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I apologize for always saying the same thing, but the member keeps asking the same question.

When the bill was tabled, the work relating to the specific clause was done by the Secretary of State for International Financial Institutions. When the Minister of Finance was appointed to his portfolio, he followed the very clear rules and put all of his assets in trust. The ethics counsellor established all the rules, and the Minister of Finance has complied with them at all times.

Again, I have confidence in the Minister of Finance. He is an honest man, as he has clearly proven since being appointed to his position.

Infrastructure

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

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

The Canada infrastructure works program was a very successful federal initiative that created thousands of jobs across the country and provided much needed funding for infrastructure development. Many people in our communities are anxious to know if we are going to extend this program again.

Can the minister make a commitment today that he is prepared to extend this highly successful program?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Canada infrastructure works program has been and continues to be successful. The federal government invested $2.3 billion in more than 16,000 infrastructure projects that have created over 125,000 jobs.

The program was implemented in co-operation with the provinces and municipalities, and we intend to pursue it until March 31, 1999.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Bruce Starlight wrote to the minister of Indian affairs last fall. His privacy was breached and his letter leaked to the chief, Liberal Roy Whitney. Chief Whitney is now using taxpayers' money provided by the minister of Indian affairs to sue Mr. Starlight.

The Deputy Prime Minister said last week that he is looking into paying for Mr. Starlight's legal fees because he recognizes that this is a breach in confidentiality. Is he now prepared to assure Mr. Starlight that his legal fees will be paid?

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, an investigation is under way. It is conducted by Mr. Newman, who is an experienced investigator. I can assure the hon. member that the minister will act responsibly once she is informed of the findings of the investigation.

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, just so that we are clear, the Deputy Prime Minister and the minister of Indian affairs have already acknowledged that this is an unacceptable breach of confidentiality. Mr. Starlight wrote a letter and as a direct result of this government's failure to respect his private and privileged correspondence, he is being sued.

I am going to ask one more time: Will the Deputy Prime Minister please commit here and now to paying for Mr. Starlight's legal fees?

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, based on the available information, it appears that the band council will pay for the legal fees of both Mr. Whitney and Mr. Starlight.

Employment Insurance

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

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

The number of unemployed workers eligible for EI has dropped from 87% in 1989 to less than 40% today. The EI commission's first report indicates that the intention of changes was not to reduce the number of claimants.

That being the case, is the minister prepared to revise the eligibility criteria immediately?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his extremely relevant question.

In fact, the number of unemployed workers participating in our system is of great concern to us. It has dropped very significantly.

I do not, however, think I can go along with the member's conclusion that this is entirely the result of the eligibility criteria. That is why I have asked my officials to look into the matter in order to find out why there are so many workers no longer covered by the system, so that appropriate decisions can be made.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I invite the minister to come to Acadia to see what is happening in the fishery. Perhaps he would then be able to understand.

The report says it is too early to assess the impact of EI changes. I would like the Minister of Human Resources Development to tell the thousands of seasonal workers who are suffering that there is insufficient data to assess the situation. Are the reality and the facts not enough?

Is the government prepared to revise the criteria governing eligibility and duration of benefits so that they are more consistent with the needs of seasonal workers?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, I would point out that anyone who has read the complete report will also have seen that workers, particularly those in the Atlantic region of Canada, came up with additional weeks so that they could maintain their level of benefits.

The reform is beginning to produce results because, when motivated to come up with more weeks, these people did. Now we are making the right decisions because we understand what is going on. Is it because there are a greater number of self-employed workers on the market who are not covered by the system, and not just the eligibility criteria?

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should be put in the penalty box for joking about his salary when Canadians have had a 6% drop in disposable income and a 15% increase in income tax over the past several years. Our most talented Canadians are leaving Canada to work elsewhere.

Is the Prime Minister's policy of continued high income taxes and a weak Canadian dollar part of his plan to reduce the pay gap between himself and the NHL players?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it was not this Prime Minister's policy. It was the previous Prime Minister's policy that brought us high income taxes.

In fact since this government has taken office we have not raised income tax rates. We have brought down the deficit. We have brought down interest rates. A million Canadians have gone back to work and this country is now imbued with an optimism that it has not seen in over a decade and a half.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance needs to be briefed a little better. Between 1989 and 1993 the Conservative government reduced income taxes as a per cent of GDP by 1%. Since 1993 this minister has increased income taxes as a per cent of GDP.

The

Globe and Mail

on Saturday reported that the heavy tax burden combined with overall income taxes in Canada is putting in motion a brain drain that is taking our most productive workers. Over 80% of Waterloo graduates are going to the U.S. When will this finance minister act to end the brain drain and bring broad based tax relief?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member wants to talk about the Tory record while in power between 1989 and 1993: employment down by 100,000 jobs; real disposable income down 8.1%; net worth of incomes down; consumer confidence down 6.9%; housing starts down 26.4%; vehicle sales down 16.6%. I have a whole book about the Tory record.

Afghanistan

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are all concerned about reports of the recent earthquake in Afghanistan. Four thousand people have been killed and thousands more have been left homeless. Can the minister assure this House that Canada is doing everything possible to assist with this catastrophe?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada extends its condolences to the people of Afghanistan as well as to the victims' families. I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada will be contributing $300,000 to the victims in the regions of Afghanistan through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Justice

[Chuck Cadman, Reform, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad we are concerned about earthquake victims in Afghanistan but 10 days ago near my home two 15 year olds were shot. Last week the father of one of them buried his young son. I am angered because I know that pain.

What we hear from this justice minister are warm and fuzzy words about youth violence like partnerships and stakeholders. Without a sermon on gun control would she please tell us how many more parents must put their children in the ground before this government stops tinkering and does something?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. He raises a very serious issue.

As I believe the hon. member knows, I have made a promise that I will be tabling in this House in the coming weeks a response to the report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights on youth justice. The hon. member raises a very important point. I hope he will work with us when I table the response. We in this country are all very concerned that we ensure we have a youth justice system that first and foremost protects the public of this country.

Small Business Assistance Programs

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

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

Last Friday, in a joint statement, the President of the Treasury Board and his colleague the secretary of state announced a federal compensation program for small businesses affected by the ice storm, a program established unilaterally, without any harmonization with Quebec.

Will the minister admit that all he is trying to do on this issue is to enhance the government's visibility at the expense of the effectiveness of small business assistance programs?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have met with my colleague Mr. Brassard, Quebec's intergovernmental affairs minister, four times in three weeks to try to find a basis for an agreement to provide assistance to small and medium size businesses, which are currently facing considerable financial hardship. I met the business owners themselves and they told me action was urgently needed.

After meeting with Minister Brassard on Wednesday, I followed up with a phone call on Friday to remind him he had told me he would give me an answer—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Palliser.

National Defence

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence.

As the minister knows firsthand from his meeting with the folks in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, alternate service delivery means slashed salaries, devastated communities, massive job losses and the Canadian military being deprived of the tools and talents it needs to do the job. Now other communities appear to be subject to this ASD flu as well.

Why will the minister of defence not order a halt to this race to the bottom before it destroys thousands more lives and several more communities?