Debates of Feb. 4th, 1998

Maple Syrup Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, right after the heavy part of the storm was over I personally witnessed the damage throughout rural Canada, including that in the maple industry. The damage varies. I can honestly say that it was severe to very severe in the maple bushes throughout eastern Ontario and Quebec.

The support from the federal government, as we know, must be instigated by the provinces and then the support through the disaster funding assistance program agreement with the provinces kicks in.

We have already mentioned some of the types of things that would be covered such as the repair and replacement of pipelines, et cetera.

Cable Service

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately Canadian consumers are getting dinged in Mr. Rogers' neighbourhood these days. The cable giant is again taking advantage of its Liberal sanctioned monopoly to punish nearly two million Canadians across this country. This time around the subscribers get to pay $2 a month for absolutely no extra channels and no extra service.

Why does the government not stand up and put Canadians first rather than last?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, there is a very simple way of ensuring that one has no increase and that is to stick to the basic service.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what she is saying is that Canadians will not have a choice. They presently have an extra package and if they want to maintain that extra package they are going to have to pay an extra $2 because of the extra channels they do not want.

What are the choices? Is this a Liberal choice? Why do the cable companies have the monopoly they have? Why does the government not give Canadians the option? Why does this government not give Canadians the opportunity to see competition and do their job?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

We have, Mr. Speaker.

Bank Merger

[Lorne Nystrom, NDP, Qu'Appelle, SK]

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

The minister made a ridiculous statement saying the NDP is trying to hijack the process in terms of public hearings and bank mergers. How can he say that when the minister himself hijacked the process in December when he signed a WTO agreement allowing more foreign banks in this country?

Why did he sign off on that WTO agreement in December without proper consultation with the Parliament of Canada, the people of this country or a report from the task force on financial institution? How could he do that?

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, there were many consultations in terms of the financial services agreement. It has been around a number of years. We had our APEC conference in Vancouver. Given the Asian crisis and the currency situation there was solidarity in saying that the crisis is not going to go away by blocking or building walls. It is by being more transparent, and that is exactly the basis of the financial services package. It is a win for the global community, as it is for the Canadian community.

[Lorne Nystrom, NDP, Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question is for the Minister of Finance.

What the government did was pepper spray the people, not listen to the people. Why is the minister supporting a committee of Liberal backbenchers studying this merger? We all know he is salivating to be prime minister of this country, but if he wants to be leader of the country can he explain why Liberal backbenchers can study the matter but Parliament and the Canadian people cannot? Explain that effect on democracy.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, what I have said is that the government is not going to decide on this issue until the task force reports and there has been a public debate. Liberal members are going to study this because they are concerned with this issue and they want to work.

The real issue is not why Liberal members are studying it on their own; it is why are NDP members not studying it on their own, why are Reform members and Tories not. The answer is that the membership on this side of the House is one heck of a lot better.

Infrastructure

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the prime minister. I appreciate his earlier mention but his own code of ethics states that at no time shall a former minister act on behalf of a company in connection with any ongoing proceeding to which the government is a party and on which the minister advised the government.

In the case of the New Brunswick highway Doug Young was a minister, he is now acting on behalf of a company, it is an ongoing proceeding, the government is a funding partner and Doug Young did advise the government.

Considering that, will the prime minister explain how his code of ethics could possibly clear his former minister?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is because someone who is no longer a member of this House has the right to work. I will ask Mr. Wilson if it is wrong that he is the vice-chair of Dominion Securities although he is a former minister of finance. What about Jake Epp, a former minister of energy who is now senior vice-president of TransCanada Pipelines? What about Don Mazankowski, a former minister of transport who is now on the board for Greyhound? He was also minister of finance and he is on the board of Great-West Life?

There is nothing wrong with that as long as they respect the post-employment guidelines.

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, not one of those people wrote a cheque for $25 million. In my meeting with the ethics counsellor the other day he said there were many issues of concern that should be of concern to the Minister of Transport. Maybe that is why John Grace, Canada's information commissioner, said that the ethics counsellor should answer to Parliament in the same way as the auditor general.

Will the prime minister commit to having his ethics counsellor answer to Parliament at least on this issue?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the ethics counsellor met with the hon. member and discussed the issue with him. He discussed the issue in public. He met and discussed it with the hon. member. He appears in front of committees. If he is invited to appear before the committee he will tell the public what he said to the member in private.

Student Loans

[Reg Alcock, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations has been tireless in its pursuit of improvements to the student loan program. Today the Minister of Human Resources Development met with CASA. Was the minister able to assure it that getting an education will not mean a lifetime of debt?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Winnipeg South and all the members of the standing committee for their hard work. I know they have met with representatives of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. I had lunch with them today. They have made a very valuable contribution to the options we are considering now in order to improve our Canada student loans program. The prime minister's millennium fund will also help thousands of young Canadians pursue post-secondary education.

We hope to announce more details on these and other measures in the coming weeks as we follow up on our youth employment strategy.

National Defence

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Major General Romeo Dallaire has been promoted to lieutenant-general. We in this House are all familiar with the allegations surrounding the deaths of the 10 Belgian soldiers who were executed while under General Dallaire's command. However, the public has not heard about General Dallaire's decision to send unarmed men on a reconnaissance mission, a mission that led to the death of a Uruguayan peacekeeper and the wounding of a Bangladeshi.

My question is for the defence minister. In light of these incidents and allegations, would it not be more appropriate to wait until these matters have been resolved before granting his promotion?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, General Dallaire has acted in a proper fashion. He has acted both on behalf of Canada and on behalf of the United Nations in a very professional fashion.

He will be appearing before a United Nations commission with respect to the Rwanda matter. But I think he has acted quite properly. The promotion is quite warranted.

Bill C-28

[Odina Desrochers, Bloc, Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, clearly Bill C-28 will benefit only Canadian businesses with marine transportation subsidiaries located abroad in countries considered tax havens. Some ten or so businesses will likely end up enjoying hundreds of millions of dollars in tax savings thanks to taxpayers.

Can the Minister of Finance tell us whether CSL Self Unloader Investment Bermuda, in Bermuda, will benefit from the tax measure he himself introduced in Bill C-28?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised that the hon. member is rising to ask the same question in an attempt to sully the reputation of the Minister of Finance, when I already said no categorically.

Cape Breton Development Corporation

[Michelle Dockrill, NDP, Bras D'Or, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in reference to the notice of question given to him this morning I ask the prime minister this. Is there a secret plan in existence to privatize the Cape Breton Development Corporation or, failing that, to shut Devco down, putting another 1,700 Cape Bretoners out of work?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, a private sector firm has made a proposal and is studying the feasibility of the concept. I have not received—

[Michelle Dockrill, NDP, Bras D'Or, NS]

Yes or no.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the rudeness of the member is rather startling.

The answer is a feasibility study is being conducted by a private sector firm on its own initiative and no decision will be taken by Devco or by this government until we get that information.

Infrastructure

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the prime minister.

Yesterday in this House the Minister of Transport rose and stated that the government had entered into an agreement with the province of New Brunswick; as a matter of fact it would respect that agreement, a deal is a deal.

The helicopter deal was not a deal. The Pearson airport deal was not a deal. Scrapping the GST was not a deal.

Will the prime minister please tell me today if the only deals that are respected are those entered into with former Liberal cabinet ministers? Is he prepared to tell Doug Young to go hit the road?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the question because it gives me another opportunity to explain to the hon. member that we are talking about a $32 million federal contribution out of a total deal of $887 million. The federal contribution is not going to be factored into the tolling arrangement now being charged.

In other words, the federal contribution is not financing the tolls on that highway. I hope the hon. member can get that through his head.