House of Commons Hansard #54 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-18.
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I believe that I gave a rather concrete and clear answer yesterday.
The proposed changes in Bill C-28 do not in any way apply to either companies incorporated in Canada or their foreign affiliates which are administered elsewhere.
I wonder why the hon. member, having been given this information, continues to ask these questions and to make allegations that are totally unfounded.
Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, if the minister has been refusing since Monday to answer our questions on a bill he is sponsoring, is it because the scandal is so huge that he is afraid, or ashamed, to explain to us that Bill C-28 will make into law taxation practices which will save shipping companies millions of dollars, and from which he himself could benefit?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is making allegations which are, as I have just said, totally unfounded. The Minister of Finance has all of his assets in trusts, with no right of inspection.
As Minister of Finance, he is not involved in any way whatsoever with shipping. It is the Minister of State from Toronto who is involved in those matters, and the staff of his department.
Bill C-28 is an omnibus bill with more than 300 amendments and, I repeat, the minister is not involved at all in these proposed amendments.
Gary Lunn Reform Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, Yves Fortier has quit as Canada's chief Pacific salmon negotiator. Why? Because he knows the United States is not ready to change its negotiating position and most important, he has not received the support he needs from this government.
If Canada's ambassador does not believe in the government's process, how can British Columbian fishermen believe in this government? Will the minister tell B.C. fishermen how they can expect to have any confidence in this government?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has clearly failed to read Mr. Fortier's letter. In it he says “I salute the senior officers of DFO and DFAIT in Ottawa, Vancouver and Victoria. The dedication and professionalism evidenced by these individuals is without par and ensures that Canada's interests are well served”.
Gary Lunn Reform Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is appalling and disgraceful that this minister can stand before the House after four years of this government's doing nothing and be proud of its position. The government is no further ahead today than it was five years ago. Canada's chief ambassador has quit because he has no confidence in this government.
What is this government going to do? When is it going to do it? Does it have a plan? What is it doing? The fishermen of British Columbia have no confidence in this government.
David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the flip-flops of the Reform Party are very obvious. Initially the member praised Mr. Fortier but when I quoted Mr. Fortier's words to him in my response, he called it disgraceful and outrageous. That is the type of approach we get from the Reform Party, no consistent support for the position of British Columbia fishermen for which we need to stand up to the United States in this dispute.
Hélène Alarie Bloc Louis-Hébert, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.
On December 2, the minister stated that even though Canada made a huge contribution to Quebec's student loans and grants program, it enjoyed little visibility.
After chipping away at transfer payments for education year after year, does the minister not find it shameful that his government is now planning to start investing again for the sole purpose of increasing its visibility at the expense of students' basic needs?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I welcome this opportunity the hon. member is giving me to remind the House of the major contribution the Government of Canada has been making since 1961 to Quebec's student loans and grants program. Indeed, Quebec's student loans and grants program is funded to a large extent by the federal government, and we are very happy with this. This, of course, is what a vibrant and dynamic federation is all about.
The hon. member may rest assured that the Government of Quebec will definitely get its share of any improvements to Canada's student loans and grants program for the country as a whole. Improvements to the Canadian program will be reflected in Canada's contribution to its Quebec equivalent.
Hélène Alarie Bloc Louis-Hébert, QC
Mr. Speaker, given that the Government of Quebec has the necessary know-how and the infrastructure to effectively manage student loans and grants, which do come under its jurisdiction, will the minister undertake to unconditionally transfer to Quebec its fair share of any new funds put into the program?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, as I just said, any improvement to the Canadian loans and grants system will be reflected in Canada's contribution to its Quebec equivalent at the permanent structures level.
The hon. member may be referring to the millennium fund. I received a letter from Minister Marois two days ago. What I can say is that we will make sure that Quebec students will be well served by this fund.
We will strive to avoid any duplication of the services provided by the Government of Quebec and work together in partnership to make life easier for students who are having a hard time staying in school as long as they should in this knowledge-based economy.
Ken Epp Reform Elk Island, AB
Mr. Speaker, Norman Morrison, president of the B.C. wing of the federal Liberal Party, was found guilty of misappropriating almost $9,000 which he got for his work at the Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunal. He got caught lining his own pocket, but Liberal ethics said he could still keep his job with the tribunal.
Why did the government not remove him when he erred rather than waiting three months for the Globe and Mail to expose the story?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, we learned about the situation just before Christmas. We were concerned and looked into the matter.
We found that his actions did not constitute cause for dismissal according to the legal guidelines. The matter is now moot as Mr. Morrison has resigned anyway.
Ken Epp Reform Elk Island, AB
Mr. Speaker, this guy was put in trust of $8,800 and he failed, and the Liberals did not call him on it.
What are we going to do as Canadians when we have Liberal appointed, Liberal protected hacks running a $1 billion Canada pension fund?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I am flabbergasted by what they are making out of the story.
We are talking about a gentleman who did not have responsibility for $1 billion. We are talking about a part time job which on average was two to four days a month in terms of responsibility. Let us keep things in perspective. The gentleman has now resigned and we have accepted his resignation.
Stéphan Tremblay Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, this morning Statistics Canada revealed that a further 22,000 jobs had been lost to young people.
In the past year, since the minister announced the youth employment strategy with great fanfare, jobs for young people have decreased and not increased.
When will the minister finally admit that his youth employment strategy is a miserable failure and that the only serious way to help young people would be to transfer these programs to Quebec?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question and the Bloc's finally taking an interest in young people at the end of question period. It is about time we paid them some attention.
I will tell you that the figures announced this morning are disappointing. We regret the increase in youth unemployment.
However, if you are asking me to transfer money to Quebec, I have to tell you that youth programs are shared. We alone are not responsible for the situation. It means the other side is not doing a good job either, which I do not think is the case.
I think that the youth employment strategy is working because 85% of those who have taken part in our programs have gone back to work.
Sarmite Bulte Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister for International Trade a question regarding the multilateral agreement on investment.
With the recent tabling of the first report of the standing committee on international trade, trade disputes and investment came a number of recommendations regarding the MAI. However the agreement continues to raise issues of concern for people in my riding.
Could the minister assure the House that the best interests of all Canadians will determine the terms by which Canada would become a signatory to this very important agreement?
Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, first, as the member mentioned there was a report from the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. It should be noted that there was overwhelming endorsation representing the parliamentary consensus for Canada to continue to be at the table and to participate in negotiations.
Second, we have always said that we will do the right deal at the right time and not any deal any time.
Last, we also have said, and I believe very strongly, that this matter at the MAI must be transferred to the WTO. If we truly want an international agreement on investment it needs to find a home at the WTO.
Rob Anders Reform Calgary West, AB
Mr. Speaker, the fisheries committee has repeatedly asked the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for foreign observer documents but the DFO refuses to hand them over.
Why? Remember Larry Murray from the Somalia cover-up. Murray now works for the DFO.
Is the minister hanging on to foreign observer documents until Murray warms up the Somalia shredder?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, it really is amazing. Earlier in the first question the Reform Party talked about the importance of the Privacy Act. It talked about the importance of making sure it is protected. We now have a member get up here 30 minutes later and say he wants me to break the law with respect to the observer reports on the offshore fleet.
I do not understand the contradiction in the Reform Party. We have had one member do it in his question and supplementary and now we have two other members do it over the course of 30 minutes.
We will uphold the law. I am bound by that law and I will not break it despite the requests by the Reform Party.
Rob Anders Reform Calgary West, AB
Mr. Speaker, Canadians need to know how many fish foreigners are taking from our waters. That is not a private matter.
What is the minister hiding? Will the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans hand over these documents today, or has Larry Murray brought the culture of cover-up to the DFO?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the information requested by the chair of that committee has been provided. What we cannot provide, under the law, section 20 of the Freedom of Information Act, is the actual observer's reports.
I have offered the chair of the committee to have the committee examine the documents in camera. What I cannot do is make them public without breaking the law, which this member keeps asking me to do.
With respect to Larry Murray, a distinguished public servant, a distinguished military officer, I find the member's cheap attack on the record of a distinguished person absolutely unacceptable. He should apologize for his cheap partisan attack on a distinguished public servant.
Rick Laliberte NDP Churchill River, SK
Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday the human resources minister told students in Ontario that the proposed millennium fund for post-secondary education would be based on need. Later that same time he told Quebec reporters that the fund would be based on academic merit. No wonder students are angry. They cannot get a straight answer from the government.
Could the minister tell us which is it? Is it based on merit or or need?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I keep saying the very same thing in both languages and in every region of the country.
There will be elements of both need and merit in the way the grants will be allocated.