House of Commons Hansard #53 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was spending.

Topics

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, pardon me, I will finish answering.

If this involves permanent residents of this country, there is a procedure which we are going to apply in the case of concern to us at present.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Reform

John Reynolds Reform West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC

Mr. Speaker, these two rapists are not the type of individuals Canadians want in Canada. Landing is a privilege, not a licence to rape.

Why does the minister refuse to do the moral and honourable thing and at the same time send a message that Canadians will not tolerate this type of behaviour from people in our country?

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Westmount—Ville-Marie Québec

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, what we are discussing here has nothing to do with these persons' unacceptable behaviour. What is at issue is these persons' right to be heard before the courts and to make an appeal, within the justice system we have here in Canada.

I repeat: if a Canadian citizen is involved, he goes through the justice system, and if a permanent resident or someone who has applied to become a permanent resident is involved, the immigration legislation is what will apply.

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, when we asked questions about Bill C-28, which seeks to amend, among others, the Income Tax Act provisions on international shipping companies, the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister got all worked up, but provided no answers.

My question is for the Minister of Finance. Instead of getting upset, would it not be better for him, and for everyone else, to reply to these questions: who asked for this amendment to the Income Tax Act, and who could derive benefit from these changes?

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I think the prime minister provided a full answer on this issue yesterday.

A press release issued by the Department of Finance clearly states that Bill C-28 does not at all apply to Canada Steamship Lines or to Canadian companies. Again, I wonder why the hon. member is trying to tarnish the reputation of a representative of this House.

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, at the suggestion of the finance minister himself, I met, about an hour and a half ago, Len Farber, who is responsible for tax issues at the Department of Finance.

Mr. Farber could neither deny nor confirm that the new provisions might benefit the finance minister and his businesses.

So, I ask the Minister of Finance: Can he tell us why the provisions of Bill C-28 dealing with international shipping could apply to all Canadian companies that have subsidiaries abroad, but not to his own companies operating in Canada, Bermuda, Barbados and Liberia?

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Finance today issued a press release that provides in-depth information in this regard. Again, based on my information, the amendment does not at all apply to the companies in question.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Deepak Obhrai Reform Calgary East, AB

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are losing confidence in our immigration process. In addition to blatant abuses of immigration policies, we now hear of corruption and fraud by more than one former immigration officer.

Can the minister inform the House how many criminal investigations are currently taking place involving former officials in her department and how many past investigations have resulted in convictions?

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Westmount—Ville-Marie Québec

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, allegations about Citizenship and Immigration Canada employees or former employees are always taken seriously by the department. Investigations are immediately initiated either within the department or in co-operation with the RCMP.

Clearly, specific actions are taken after the facts have been established, contrary to the Reform Party's contention that all employees of the department are being accused of corruption, which is completely false.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Grant McNally Reform Dewdney—Alouette, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is amazing that this minister does not seem to know what is happening in her own department. The reports of the auditor general and the legislative review committee both recommended an end to patronage appointments to the IRB. In response to these recommendations, the minister appointed defeated Liberal MP Anna Terrana to the IRB.

Did the minister purposely disregard the recommendations of these two reports or did she simply try to sneak in another Liberal through the patronage back door?

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Westmount—Ville-Marie Québec

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member from the Reform Party is not too good at reading reports. Let me read you what the auditor general said regarding appointments made on the basis of recommendations by an advisory committee operating at arm's length from the minister and the government.

The auditor general said this: “Basically, we have found no evidence of patronage. We did speak with the chairman of the committee responsible for making recommendations concerning appointments to the board and the information we have obtained shows that every appointment was made from a list provided by this special committee”. This contradicts—

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

The Speaker

I am sorry to interrupt the minister. The hon. member for Roberval.

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC

Mr. Speaker, we have checked, and the press release referred to by the Deputy Prime Minister providing clarifications on questions we asked is not yet on the Minister of Finance's Internet site. So, we will continue to ask questions, and it is in the government's interest to answer them.

Serious doubts remain. On Monday in this House, the member for Durham stated, and I quote “Consequently, the proposed amendment does not benefit Canada Steamship Lines and the company has no intention of utilizing this provision”.

My question is very brief. If the company changed its mind, could it utilize this provision in the minister's bill?

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I think the Minister of Finance's press release is very clear.

These amendments were proposed by the international maritime centre in Vancouver, a non profit agency established in 1990. The proposed amendments are not relevant for companies established in Canada or for foreign affiliates managed abroad. I thank that is a complete answer.

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is odd that we have been trying to get information for two days and it is only by backing the government up against the wall that we get a press release that only partly answers the question. Considerable doubt still remains. I think it is appropriate to talk about this here, as this is the place to raise the question.

Does the government not realize that the burden of proof rests with it and that it must prove, for the good of the Minister of Finance and the government, not only that Canada Steamship Lines is not utilizing the provision but that it will never enjoy the benefits afforded under Bill C-28?

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member is mistaken. The burden of proof, in our legal system, rests on his shoulders, and he has not discharged the burden of proof in this interesting situation.

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

No, it is not on our shoulders.

Cable ServiceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Jim Abbott Reform Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday when I asked the heritage minister about the cable company fee increases she basically told Canadians to go watch their radio. Stick to basic service in order to avoid the cable monopoly sticking it to you. That is from the Canadian heritage minister who is supposed to be looking after promoting Canadian heritage. What she is basically saying is boycott the new specialty channels.

Why will she not stand up for consumers? Why is she standing up for the cable companies?

Cable ServiceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Hamilton East Ontario

Liberal

Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, what I said yesterday and what I repeat today is that if consumers want to remain at the basic price level they can in fact purchase the basic service. They get a number of channels on the basic service. The price for the basic service is fixed by the CRTC and that basic price has not been increased.

Atlantic Canada Opportunities AgencyOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Rob Anders Reform Calgary West, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year on the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, supposedly to employ Atlantic Canadians. But I was shocked to learn that this agency is funding the ocean management and training company where the Canadian workers have just been ditched in favour of hiring foreign workers.

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development or the Minister of Industry, whoever is the most proud. Is this the latest Liberal brainwave to create jobs in Atlantic Canada? Is this the best they can do?

Atlantic Canada Opportunities AgencyOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Fred Mifflin LiberalMinister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)

Mr. Speaker, in response to the hon. member's question I can tell him that there are close to 100,000 Atlantic Canadians who have taken advantage of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Clearly the name of the game is to keep Atlantic Canadians in business and operations and we will continue to do that.

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Minister said a moment ago that it was up to the opposition to prove that there was a problem with the Minister of Finance.

This is proven. The burden of proof lies with the government, for how can the Deputy Prime Minister explain to me honestly that a minister who is not entitled to speak on a matter in order to not be in conflict of interest is entitled to sponsor a bill which confers tax advantages to shipping companies?

Bill C-28Oral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the answer is very clear. The bill does not concern anything currently held in trust by the Minister of Finance. The proposed amendments concerning international shipping clarify the 1991 rule which is intended as an incentive for foreign carriers to do business in Canada.

In this bill we are not talking about a Canadian company.

Cape Breton Development CorporationOral Question Period

February 5th, 1998 / 2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE

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

Yesterday the member for Bras D'Or stood in her place, frantically waving a document which she purported to be a secret government document which threatened to privatize the Cape Breton Development Corporation.

Will the minister relieve the people of Cape Breton?

Cape Breton Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

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

Mr. Speaker, the loud and vacuous antics of the NDP yesterday made it impossible to deal seriously with what is obviously a serious issue for the people of Cape Breton.

With respect to Devco let me simply quote what I said over two months ago to a Senate committee. One could only have a rational discussion about privatization vis-à-vis Devco once commercial viability has in fact been achieved. We are not yet to the point where commercial viability has been achieved and accordingly it is entirely hypothetical to contemplate the notion of privatization.

That is what I said before the Senate committee and the NDP should at least catch up with the Senate.