Debates of March 11th, 1998

Option Canada

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, everyone knows about using the Access to Information Act when information is being withheld. That is what we had to do.

How could the Minister of Canadian Heritage appear before the Standing Committee on Heritage on November 5 last year and say that all expenditures were in compliance with the rules of Treasury Board, when she had two memos on October 8 and 9 from her department saying the opposite and especially when that very day, in her department, a report was submitted to her indicating that funds were being managed very badly? How does she explain that?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, in my testimony before the committee, I clearly said, and the assistant deputy minister, Mr. Moyer, followed it up, that the procedures in place when the contributions were made were consistent with the requirements of Treasury Board, and nothing has changed in this matter.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of Indian affairs has conceded that the unauthorized leaking of Bruce Starlight's letter was wrong. The privacy commissioner says her department in fact broke the law.

On Monday, after more than two full months, the minister finally apologized to Mr. Starlight but that will not pay his legal bills.

The Liberals had no trouble coughing up more than $2 million to the former prime minister when they leaked one of his confidential letters.

Will the minister commit here and now to pay Mr. Starlight's legal fees?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where the hon. member has been, but indeed one of the first things I did upon receiving the report of the investigator was to call Mr. Starlight and indicate that we would pay for his legal fees.

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we asked the minister repeatedly in the House to make that commitment and she has only made it right now.

In the matter of Bruce Starlight—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Skeena.

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we have asked the minister consistently for over a month and this is the first time we had a commitment to pay those legal fees.

In the matter of this leaked letter the privacy commissioner and the minister of Indian affairs found that correspondence in her office was handled in a lax manner. Both investigations concluded “physical security afforded to sensitive correspondence was poor and did not comply with government policy”.

Could the minister tell us who in her office is responsible for security of sensitive correspondence?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, as I have explained in the House and as I have explained publicly, the recommendations made to me by the investigator indicated quite clearly that there were lax approaches.

We are taking action against the seven recommendations that he made. Indeed individuals have been named in the department to deal with confidential information, to classify it appropriately and to manage it effectively in my department.

Francophones Outside Quebec

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Richelieu, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

In recent years, francophone groups outside Quebec have suffered some very severe cuts. In Saskatchewan, for example, 43% of their funding was cut. Preparations are under way for renewal of these agreements with the francophone communities outside Quebec.

Can the minister justify not having found any extra funds for the francophone communities, when the latest census data show just what a drastic situation these communities are in?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, yes, we are in the process of negotiating, with the provinces, the renewal of the Canada-communities agreement.

What I find most interesting is that the leader of the Bloc Quebecois is getting booed during his travels around Saskatchewan. They have rejected him outright because he does not acknowledge that there can be francophone Canadians. He wants a francophone Quebec and an anglophone Saskatchewan.

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Richelieu, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I think the Minister has misread the papers again today.

The department she represents has expended huge amounts of energy to turn up another $10 million in funding, in order to finance the Council for Canadian Unity and Options Canada.

Could the minister expend the same amount of energy to turn up additional funding to save the francophones outside Quebec? Or does she only have energy for flags?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, at the present time we are, through a number of different programs, funding education and support for francophone communities outside Quebec to the tune of $1.2 billion.

I find it absolutely incredible, ridiculous even, that the same Bloc MPs who want to separate Quebec from Canada, who want to have a French Quebec and an English Saskatchewan, should pretend to be demanding rights for minority francophones in Saskatchewan. This is nothing but crocodile tears, all for show.

Kosovo

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the problems in Kosovo have been escalating daily. The minister's answer to that is that we should impose some sanctions. We know that sanctions will not work in the short term.

People are dying over there and the minister comes up with this idea of sanctions, just a token gesture. Does this minister not have any other ideas that will stop the killings in Kosovo?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I am always glad to share information with the hon. member. As he knows, not only did Canada impose a series of sanctions but the same decision was taken by the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany to establish the same kind of sanctions, to establish a mediator and to meet again in 10 days to determine whether further action should be taken. Already we have had some responses.

President Milosevic has offered to meet with groups of Albanians in Kosovo. We are taking very tough and very direct action.

I do not think the hon. member would like to precipitate a major conflict in that area without making sure that we—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Red Deer.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we have been there since 1991. We are not part of the contact group and yet we have been a major part of this issue.

Why will the minister not at least, when negotiating with the Americans, particularly yesterday with Madam Albright, emphasize the fact that we should be part of that contact group and part of the decision making? Sanctions are just not going to be enough.

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we made those exact points.

Hepatitis C Victims

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government, the Ontario government and the Red Cross are being sued for nearly $4 billion.

The announcement of the lawsuit coincides with the rumour about the federal government not planning to compensate those infected with hepatitis C before 1986 and after 1990.

Does the minister recognize that it would be unfair and discriminatory to compensate only hepatitis C victims contaminated between 1986 and 1990, when the people infected with the AIDS virus, directly or indirectly—

[The Speaker]

The Hon. Minister of Health.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, concerning the whole issue of compensation for hepatitis C victims, we are currently working with our provincial partners to find a fair and equitable solution.

Hopefully, we will be able to make an announcement in the coming weeks, in co-operation with the provinces, about compensation for the victims.

The Environment

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

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

It has been reported that reducing greenhouse gases in Canada will cost $100 billion over the next 15 years. With this kind of huge expenditure, can Canada afford to meet its obligations under the Kyoto agreement?

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

Mr. Speaker, in the same media reports quoting that figure, the reports went on to indicate that the costs of not responding to our Kyoto obligations would be even higher.

With our work on the voluntary registry, our work on energy efficiency, our work on renewables and alternatives, our work on co-generation, on new technology, development and diffusion, our development of international flexibility tools like emissions trading, indeed we can meet our obligations and we can build the economy at the same time.

Justice

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Jason Gamache was a convicted young sex offender, but the public did not know this. An unsuspecting mother hired him to babysit her six year old daughter. He raped and murdered that little girl.

I ask the justice minister if she would commit today to amend the Young Offenders Act so that the publication of the names of young offenders who threaten the lives and the safety of members of society can be published.

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

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, I am indeed working on a response, and a fulsome response, to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. The hon. member was a member of that committee and I have made it clear to him and others on a number of occasions that this response will be forthcoming in a few weeks.

I look forward to the positive contribution of the hon. member and others as we renew the youth justice system in this country.