Debates of Feb. 20th, 1998

Canadian Wheat Board

[Rick Borotsik, Progressive Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, with the passage of Bill C-4 in the House this week, the Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board must think that the political heat is off. Think again. The United States government is poised to demand an audit of the Canadian Wheat Board, the first one since 1993.

My question is for the minister of agriculture. In light of the MAI and in light of the WTO, does he honestly believe that Bill C-4 as it now stands will stand the test of time, or will he honestly admit that we will be back in the House in the near future revamping the Canadian Wheat Board?

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

Mr. Speaker, first I congratulate the member for being chosen by his party to be the agriculture critic.

Bill C-4, which is now before the other place on the Hill, will certainly make some great evolution in the activities of the Canadian Wheat Board. It will be directed by farmers and the majority of the directors will be chosen by farmers. Those people will be best placed to deal with the future of the Canadian Wheat Board in the marketing of grains in western Canada.

Fisheries

[Paul Steckle, Liberal, Huron—Bruce, ON]

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

Given the recent statement of the minister of fisheries for Newfoundland and Labrador, the hon. John Efford, that seal populations are at an all time high and may be affecting the recovery of groundfish stocks, could the minister tell us today what measures he is prepared to take to deal with these all time high seal populations.

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question and the quote from Mr. Efford who has certainly brought this matter to the attention of Canadians.

Yes, the population of harp seals is high and has increased and the grey seals have increased even faster.

I would like to quote the statement from the scientific council of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization: “It is possible that the marine mammal consumption of juvenile cod is impacting their recovery”. In other words, seal predation is impacting recovery.

Essentially the same point was made by the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council of Canada in its November report: “The council believes that their consumption of juvenile cod and other species is a threat to the rebuilding of groundfish stocks”—

[The Speaker]

That brings to a conclusion our question period for today.

[Ken Epp, Reform, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I bring to your attention that question period started three minutes late today and we still have some important questions.

[The Speaker]

I thank the member for bringing that to my attention and I will see if I can make it up the next time.

[Jim Gouk, Reform, West Kootenay—Okanagan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week while attending a meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Works and Government Services, I made reference to a report referred to as the Dobson report.

A Liberal member of that committee raised a point of order requesting that since I had referred to the report I should be required to table it either with the committee or in the House of Commons.

In order to do this, I need clarification on this tabling request. Do the Liberal members really need the Reform Party to supply them with copies of a report that was commissioned by the Liberal Party?

Order In Council Appointments

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments which were made by the government.

Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 110(1), these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to three petitions.

Patent Act

[Jim Gouk, Reform, West Kootenay—Okanagan, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-361, an act to amend the Patent Act (life of patents pertaining to medicine).

Madam Speaker, this bill is in response to a growing number of constituents both in my riding and across this country who say that drugs in this country should be affordable. Bill C-91 in a previous government increased the patent protection, doubled it in fact, from 10 years to 20 under the understanding that this would result in an increase in drug research in this country.

Evidence since that time has not shown that it has increased any. My bill seeks to provide a balance by reducing the patent protection from 20 years to 15 years over a 5 year period, 1 year at a time, so that Canadians can afford drugs in this country.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Firearms Act

[Jim Gouk, Reform, West Kootenay—Okanagan, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-362, an act to amend the Firearms Act and the Criminal Code (no registration of firearms that are not restricted or prohibited firearms).

Madam Speaker, this bill seeks to remove the most objectionable part of Bill C-68. At the time it was introduced, the Reform Party specifically asked the government to split the bill so that it could deal with registration and crack down on criminal misuse of firearms separately. It did not do this.

My bill seeks to revoke the most offensive part of Bill C-68, the one requiring law-abiding citizens of this country to register rifles and shotguns at a tremendous cost which is growing daily according to the government's own figures.

That way Canadians can have a little peace and quiet and some responsibility in this law so that the Criminal Code can be used to crack down on those who break law, not the law-abiding citizens of this country.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Petitions

[Jim Gouk, Reform, West Kootenay—Okanagan, BC]

Madam Speaker, I have a petition signed by members of my constituency pointing out their great concerns about nuclear weapons and the threat to the health and survival of civilization.

They call on Parliament to support the immediate initiation and conclusion by the year 2000 of an international convention which sets out a binding timetable for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.

[Peter Goldring, Reform, Edmonton East, AB]

Madam Speaker, I rise in this Chamber as a courtesy to my colleague from Edmonton Southwest and 50 of his constituents.

I am pleased to discharge this favour by presenting to this House a petition. This petition asks for a very prudent review of the mandate of the CRTC to discourage the propagation of pornography and rather to encourage the broadcasting of ecclesiastical programming to support morality and wholesome family lifestyles.

The petitioners ask this House to heed their words and I concur.

[Ted McWhinney, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Speaker, I have the pleasure to present three petitions. The first has 167 signatures from all over British Columbia. It is from the physicians for global survival and it calls for a binding international convention to abolish nuclear weapons by the year 2000.

[Ted McWhinney, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Speaker, the second petition has 210 signatures from Vancouver and Victoria. It calls for the elimination of sales taxes on reading material.

[Ted McWhinney, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Madam Speaker, the third petition with 240 signatures from B.C. calls for the Canadian government to use its influence to ensure that Turkey abides by UN security council resolutions on Cyprus.

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present two petitions to the House today.

Four hundred and seventy-five petitioners ask that Parliament review the mandate of the CRTC and direct the CRTC to administer a new policy encouraging the licensing of religious broadcasters.

The petitioners hold that the CRTC presently licenses programs of a sexually explicit or violent nature and yet it has refused to license one Roman Catholic and three multi-denominational programmers.

Given that Canadians have a constitutional right to freedom of religion, conscience and expression, these petitioners ask that the CRTC be required to exhibit an openness toward religious programming and to support its existence on Canadian stations.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is my honour to present a petition pursuant to Standing Order 36 from residents of Kamloops, Celista, Chase, Anglemont, Clearwater, Logan Lake, Savona, Vanenby, Avola, Adams Lake, Blue River, Little Fort, Magna Bay, Falkland, Barriere, Tappen, Sorrento, Salmon Arm and Deadman's Creek. They draw to the attention of the House that the multilateral on investment is a direct attack on Canadian sovereignty.

They point out that it will expand and entrench the unprecedented rights of transnational corporations. It will severely limit national, provincial and regional governments' ability to promote social, economic and job creation strategies. It will give foreign corporations the right to sue Canadians governments, and it will lock us into the closet for 20 years.

They are calling on Parliament to direct the government not to sign the multilateral agreement on investment. There are hundreds of names attached to this petition.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Madam Speaker, I present another petition with hundreds of names from the communities of Vancouver, Victoria, New Westminister, Port Coquitlam, Port Alberni, Hartsville, Nanaimo, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, Vavenby, Avola, Red Lake, Paul Lake, Westwold, Pritchard, Chilliwack, Prince George, Terrace, Port Hardy and Grand Forks.

It is a long, complicated petition but fundamentally it says not to proceed at this point with the proposed seniors benefit package to be introduced sometime in March or April, and that adequate time be given for all Canadians to comment with the government on the kind of retirement system Canada ought to have in the distant future.

[Carmen Provenzano, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I rise to present a petition to the House signed by 47 residents of Sault Ste. Marie.

The petitioners believe that explicit nudity in public is becoming more common and that such displays are harmful to children. They call on Parliament to amend the Criminal Code to make public female toplessness an indecent act.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 39 and 47. .[Text]

[John Duncan, Reform, Vancouver Island North, BC]

What percentage of current “The Atlantic Groudfish Stategy” recipients were sent letters of commitment regarding the benefits they would receive for the original five year program to May 1999, and how much money does the twelve month commitment between May 1998 and May 1999 represent for those receiving letters?

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

The Atlantic Groudfish Stategy, TAGS, was announced on April 19, 1994 as a transitional measure to assist east coast and Quebec fishers and fishplant workers, who lost their jobs due to the closure of the Atlantic groudfish fishery.

Some 40,000 individuals qualified for TAGS. Originally, each TAGS recipient received a letter which confirmed their eligibility and duration on TAGS. The letter also indicated that in order to maintain one's continuing entitlement to TAGS, clients were required to actively participate in adjustment interventions such as counselling and career planning and to have in place an agreed upon action plan. A minimum duration of two years was given to all TAGS recipients.

Since this initial letter, there have been a number of changes to the TAGS program including changes to duration and active measures. At each change clients have been kept informed by letter.

All TAGS recipients were offered the opportunity to participate in a variety of adjustment measures to assist them to adjust out of the groundfish fishery. TAGS clients participated in approximately 16,500 interventions.

The administration of TAGS is dependent on funds being appropriated by Parliament. In order to maintain income support benefits at current levels, and to remain withing the original $1.9 billion budget, it was announced in July 1996 that TAGS would end earlier than expected. This was anticipated to be in May 1998.

On December 16, 1997, the Minister of Human Resources Development Canada announced that the Government of Canada will continue paying income support until the end of August 1998, when it is now expected that funds will be exhausted.

In May 1998 approximately 27,000 clients would remain eligible for TAGS. Of these, some 18,000 or 67% would have remained eligible until May 1999. Based on current projections, to continue TAGS from May 1998 to its original end date of May 1999 would require another $170 million to $200 million in additional funding over and above the $1.9 billion budgeted for the program.

[John Williams, Reform, St. Albert, AB]

What safety concerns about NAV Canada have been brought to the attention of NAV Canada's Office of Safety and Quality by Transport Canada?