Debates of March 16th, 1998

Semaine Nationale De La Francophonie

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of measures, will the minister undertake to ask the English speaking provinces to provide their francophone minorities with the same rights and benefits as Quebec provides to its anglophone minority?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that the way provinces treat their linguistic minorities must reflect the obligations that the federal government has itself undertaken to fulfil vis-à-vis minority linguistic groups in each province.

In Quebec, the anglophone minority is usually very well treated. I think that this is recognized by everyone. In all the other provinces, the federal government is fulfilling its responsibility of also providing francophone minorities with the excellent treatment they are entitled to expect.

Young Offenders Act

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after one year in her portfolio, the justice minister has failed to bring in a single amendment to the Young Offenders Act. I would like to ask if she will commit to increasing the maximum penalty from three to seven years for those convicted of serious violent offences.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me say that the hon. member has his math a little bit wrong. I do not believe I have been minister of justice for a full year.

I should remind this hon. House that in fact my predecessor brought in important reforms to the Young Offenders Act and I have indicated that I will be bringing forward this government's response to the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs report on the Young Offenders Act. I intend to do that in a timely fashion in the coming weeks.

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard from Canadians all across this country for years crying out for changes to the Young Offenders Act, including the attorneys general of this country. She has failed to move on this until now. In fact, all we have heard are whispers through the news media as to what she intends to do.

I ask the justice minister specifically if she is prepared to reduce the minimum age from 12 to 10 years for violent young offenders so that society can be protected and these young people can get the rehabilitative care they require?

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

Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to discuss reform of the Young Offenders Act and the renewal of the youth justice system with my provincial colleagues in Montreal in December. I can do no better than repeat that I intend to respond to the standing committee's reporting in a timely fashion. I look forward to working with the hon. member when that report is tabled.

Kosovo

[Daniel Turp, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

It seems more and more unlikely that a dialogue between Kosovo's Serbs and Albanians will solve the current crisis, but the Serbian government is refusing to let the international community get involved, on the grounds that the conflict is an internal issue. The United Kingdom proposed international mediation, while Canada and the United States seem in favour of sending a peace-restoring force.

Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us whether he agrees with the British government's proposal for a mediation team?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

Multilateral Agreement On Investment

[Sarkis Assadourian, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of International Trade.

As Canada continues to negotiate the MAI with our economic partners in Paris, would the minister tell this House what kind of action he is taking to guarantee the services of health care and the preservation of our social safety net from foreign interference?

[Julian Reed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, three weeks ago the Minister of International Trade laid down the concerns of Canadians very clearly in a public statement. I can assure the hon. member that nothing will be negotiated that will interfere in any way with Canada's ability to run its own house.

Young Offenders Act

[Paul Forseth, Reform, New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals gave Canadians a flawed Young Offenders Act in the 1980s and since then have only tinkered with and not fixed their mistake. Two successive governments have had endless consultations since 1992 as the YOA has gained little public support.

I ask the minister if she is open to real change: no hiding of names, no hiding of records, no day camps for murderers? Will she finally commit to doing it right this time and make these long sought after changes?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me first reassure Canadians that we on this side of the House understand that youth crime cannot be dealt with through a simplistic approach. Therefore, we in the government will be tabling a response to the standing committee's report that acknowledges the fact that not only must we protect society but we must prevent youth crime and rehabilitate young offenders.

Heritage Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, the question is: What do Canadians get for $40 million?

After two years of spending on fancy prestige offices for 30 people sitting at expensive desks, they get a pointless tourism program and a redundant website.

From the word go, Canadians have questioned the need, use or function of the Heritage Minister's Canada information office where they have blown away millions for nothing. Now having fired the top CIO bureaucrat, can Canadians hope that the minister will do the right thing and shut down this Liberal boondoggle?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, as usual the facts claimed by the hon. member are not facts.

Pharmaceutical Industry

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry rammed through drug patent regulation changes late last week which will continue to push up the prices of medications.

Conveniently, when the cabinet decision was announced, Merck Frosst had all their paperwork ready to block a new generic heart drug from entering the market.

What is the link between the industry minister and the pharmaceutical lobby? Why does the industry minister always grant the pharmaceutical industry protections not granted to any other industry at the expense of the health of Canadians?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, it is very hard to say that the changes to the patent drug regulations were rushed through. They were pre-published back in January. There was a public consultation period that lasted 30 days and ended on February 23. We heard submissions from all sides. The changes were put before the special committee of council in the normal course for regulations last week and then were signed and proclaimed after they were passed. There were no surprises here.

What we have done is achieve an appropriate balance between the interests of the two sectors of this industry.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is right. There were no surprises. The minister once again supported the pharmaceutical drug lobby.

Today representatives of the generic drug industry and seniors do not agree with what the minister just said. They in fact called for the resignation of the Minister of Industry this morning because in their words “he is nothing but a servant of foreign owned multinational drug companies”.

Will the minister do the right thing and allow competition by the generic industry as in any other industry, or will he do as seniors and the industry demand and resign?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Not today, Mr. Speaker.

What is very peculiar is that we already have the most pro generic pharmaceutical policy in the developed countries. We have permitted exceptions which allow generic drugs to get to the market quicker than would otherwise be the case. These exceptions are not generally offered in other developed countries.

We have devised a system which we think achieves the correct balance between giving effective 20 year protection, as is our obligation under international treaty, and enabling generic drugs to enter the market as soon as the 20 years has ended. That is the appropriate balance.

Child Care

[Diane St-Jacques, Progressive Conservative, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal and provincial ministers responsible for social services met last Thursday to discuss provincial provisions in the new child benefit system. Among other topics, they discussed increasing the child care support the provinces could make available to low income families.

I would like to know from the Minister of Human Resources Development what happened to the federal government's commitment to a national daycare system. Where are the 150,000 daycare places promised in the red book in 1993?

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

Mr. Speaker, indeed, last Thursday we continued working with our provincial colleagues on the national child benefit system. Our commitment at the time to child care did not receive provincial approval.

Since child care is a provincial responsibility, under their jurisdiction, we have found another way to help families, including those with a low income. This is why, over the next three years, we will be increasing the child tax credit by $1.7 billion. The effect of this will be to give the provinces manoeuvring room to implement child care systems.

[Diane St-Jacques, Progressive Conservative, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we recognize the federal government's efforts in the child tax benefit, be we consider them inadequate. One of the weaknesses of the credit is its lack of protection against inflation. It is only partially indexed and thus considerably reduces Canadian families' buying power.

In 1996, the government fully indexed seniors' pensions. It is just as necessary to protect the value of benefits today for families and children. Why then is the government refusing to index the benefit fully? Is it because, unlike seniors, children cannot vote?

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

Mr. Speaker, with each new budget, our government tries harder, but our commitment of $850 million this year and a further $850 million over the next two years for a total of $1.7 billion seems eminently reasonable.

It is a commitment that goes far beyond indexation at this point and that will be of significant value to low income families.

Persons With Disabilities

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago Canada was recognized by the United Nations for its work on persons with disabilities. However of the 55 recommendations in the report of the Scott task force on persons with disabilities only eight have been implemented so far.

Is the government intending to implement the balance of the recommendations? What specific action is being taken and when can the people of Canada with disabilities expect some action?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is moving forward on many fronts to help persons with disabilities particularly in relation to the recommendations of the Scott task force report.

Just last week we reached an agreement with the provinces to create the new employability assistance for persons with disabilities program. That program will give a clear focus to help people with disabilities integrate into the workforce.

The 1997 budget extended $30 million to the opportunities fund. The Government of Canada also invests $12 million a year in support for non-governmental organizations.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Calgary—Nose Hill.