British Columbia has caught a case of the Asian flu which affected the economy of the Pacific rim in 1997. How is the Liberal government showing leadership in restoring the economy and helping B.C. in business and jobs?

British ColumbiaOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Richmond B.C.

Liberal

Raymond Chan LiberalSecretary of State (Asia-Pacific)

Mr. Speaker, our government is indeed very concerned about the Asian financial crisis and its impact on British Columbia. That is why we are supporting international efforts to stabilize the troubled Asian countries. At the same time we continue to promote job growth and exports by organizing Team Canada and other trade missions to the region.

We continue also to invest in technologies in British Columbia. Just a couple of weeks ago the Minister of Industry announced a $300 million project with MDA in B.C. to build a new satellite.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has a rule that any companies unloading oil off ships in Canada have to pay a fee. Fair enough. What is not fair is they are forced to pay a different amount depending on the province they are in. Same oil, different price.

In Quebec for example it costs 44 cents to unload a tonne of oil but in Ontario it is $1.85. In the minister's own home province it is $1.52, almost four times as much as in Quebec.

Why is the minister from B.C. in charge of this fee discriminating against B.C. businesses and consumers?

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, once again the foundation of the question is simply inaccurate.

We have a double system whereby the coast guard provides standard services across the country. We in addition have response organizations organized by private industry. They must have the capability of dealing with a spill of 10,000 tonnes.

Because of different volumes which are moved in different areas and the different requirements for the equipment to be kept in stock, there are different costs. In some areas, to get the same level of environmental protection one must pay more. Environmental—

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Medicine Hat.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, we know the minister from B.C. really is not the minister for B.C. He is actually the minister from Ottawa to B.C. telling B.C. how things are supposed to work.

We would think at least he would listen to the legions of backbenchers from Ontario. They have been complaining for weeks about this double standard that forces Ontario consumers to pay at least a cent a litre more for gasoline.

Why is the minister treating Ontario and B.C. as if they were second class provinces?

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, typically the opposition chooses an Alberta member to comment upon a British Columbia or an Ontario issue. Despite the fact that British Columbia has the largest representation in their caucus, they constantly ignore the B.C. members in the official opposition.

As a British Columbian I am simply appalled at the treatment of the majority British Columbian members in their caucus by the Alberta—

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

The EnvironmentOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Burnaby—Douglas.

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. And if he is the best that B.C. can be offered by the Liberals, then God help us.

British Columbia's coastal and upriver communities are profoundly affected by the upcoming Pacific salmon treaty negotiations with the United States. In order to ensure that all key voices are at the table, will the minister assure the House that the Government of British Columbia will be a fully equal partner at these upcoming Pacific salmon negotiations?

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, the issue of the Pacific salmon treaty is a very important one, except apparently to the official opposition.

The issue is structured so there will be one chief negotiator on both the American and Canadian side. They will be supported by a team. British Columbia will have a representative on that high level team. The level of participation of the British Columbia government will depend entirely upon how active it wishes to be and how good and useful its suggestions are.

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC

Mr. Speaker, as the minister knows, coho salmon are in crisis especially the northern coho as a result of Alaskan overfishing.

Will the minister assure British Columbians that any interim fishing deal will address this issue and the equity issue in the upcoming season, and not simply allow the United States to maintain the status quo which is absolutely disastrous both for fish and coastal communities in British Columbia?

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, I certainly can assure the member of that. The issue of coho protection in northern British Columbia is an extremely important one. It will mean we will have to have extensive negotiations with the Americans on this specific issue. I am quite willing to point out to the member that this is one of the reasons for our concern this year on the catch levels we will have to establish.

Canada Millennium Scholarship FoundationOral Question Period

March 25th, 1998 / 2:50 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Charlie Power Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has said on numerous occasions in this House that a good government is a transparent government. However the millennium scholarship foundation is not subject to the Access to Information Act.

Will the minister allow true transparency by subjecting the foundation to the Access to Information Act?

Canada Millennium Scholarship FoundationOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, it is an outside foundation. Its books will certainly be available. They will be audited. This government as in all other things will continue to be open and transparent and so will the foundation. Its board of directors will consist of educators, leading Canadians from coast to coast. Their integrity should not be questioned.

Canada Millennium Scholarship FoundationOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Charlie Power Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL

Mr. Speaker, I was not questioning the integrity of any of the directors on the board, or their abilities or competence. I am asking in a transparent society, when $2.5 billion of our taxpayers' money is going to be spent on a millennium scholarship foundation, why is that foundation not subject to the Access to Information Act?

Canada Millennium Scholarship FoundationOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, because it is an outside foundation and will operate as an outside foundation.

HealthOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Janko Peric Liberal Cambridge, ON

Mr. Speaker, a recent advisory panel report on regulations governing natural health products suggested several changes to provide consumers with greater freedom of choice.

Will the Minister of Health assure the House that serious consideration will be given to this report calling for a fair and effective regulatory framework for natural health remedies?

HealthOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Eglinton—Lawrence Ontario

Liberal

Joe Volpe LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what is happening right now. The issue is before the Standing Committee on Health. It is holding hearings in Ottawa and has been doing so for the last three months. It will move on to other areas in particular in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec to hear all the stakeholders and consumer groups, including the one that had a press conference yesterday to publicize its own concerns.

All of those issues are being brought forward to the committee. The committee will make its report both to the House and to the minister in short order.

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Reform

John Duncan Reform Vancouver Island North, BC

Mr. Speaker, fisheries management in British Columbia is in a mess. However our minister thinks he has found a way to solve the Pacific salmon crisis. He wants to let the Americans fish all our salmon and then place B.C. fishermen on a west coast TAGS program. His answer to the problem is to fold to the Americans, kill thousands of jobs and place British Columbians on welfare. What an embarrassment.

Why is it that the only solution this minister has is to put B.C. fishermen on welfare?

FisheriesOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the hon. member from British Columbia. Thanks to the goading of the Alberta director of that party he was allowed to ask a question. I am glad he was.

I would point out to him that type of question only suggests to the hon. Leader of the Official Opposition that perhaps he should be kept in his seat along with the other B.C. members.

Multimedia IndustryOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Francine Lalonde Bloc Mercier, QC

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

A recently released report on the multimedia industry concludes that it is absolutely vital to quickly find new sources of financing if there is to be Canadian and Quebec content in Canada and in Quebec, in health and education, for instance.

Is the minister prepared to finally do what is necessary to help the financing of this industry of the future?

Multimedia IndustryOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage and myself are working together to try to help this very important sector of the economy, not only in the Montreal region, but everywhere in Canada.

The Atlantic Groundfish StrategyOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

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

Last month the government received the post-TAGS review known as the Harrigan report which recommended a successor program for the Atlantic groundfish strategy. The fisheries and oceans committee recommended the government continue TAGS until May 1999 and endorsed a new federally funded multi-year infrastructure and job diversification program.

Can the finance minister tell the people of Atlantic Canada if he will make sufficient funds available to finance the recommendations contained in these two reports?