Debates of March 25th, 1998

Aboriginal Affairs

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I informed the House yesterday, we are investigating this. A criminal investigation has started. The province of Alberta has jurisdiction in this case. I understand that even as we speak, Phil Fontaine, representatives of the local first nation and the RCMP are meeting with the attorney general's office in Alberta. I suspect there may be an announcement as early as today.

[Preston Manning, Reform, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the wrong minister answered the last question. This shooting on the Tsuu T'ina reserve raises many troubling questions that go way beyond legalities. Why is it that Connie Jacobs and the six children who were living with her were living in such squalor when this band is not poor? Why are so many reserves plagued with alcoholism, drug abuse and violence when Parliament gives this minister's department so much authority and so much money to deal with these problems?

What is the minister, what is the department, what is the government doing to get to the roots of these problems rather than just dealing with the—

[The Speaker]

The hon. solicitor general.

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the Leader of the Opposition shares the grief of all the people here and I hope he will respect the expressed request on the part of the first nation to not politicize this issue. It is a tragic event. Many people are calling for calm and I ask the Leader of the Opposition to do the same.

Student Debt

[Richard Marceau, Bloc, Charlesbourg, QC]

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

Bill C-36 indicates that the government intends to increase the period a student cannot include student loans in a bankruptcy from two to ten years.

By increasing to ten years, the usual repayment period, the time that must elapse before a student loan may be included in a bankruptcy, is the minister aware that he is abandoning students to the banks and ignoring even the most elementary responsibility for them?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, a look at what the government has done reveals that it permits students facing enormous difficulties to reduce their loan principal by 50%.

Regarding interest rates, students earning minimum wage, that is, less than $28,000, will be allowed to reduce their rate of interest. Those earning less than $20,000 will be allowed to not pay interest. We—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Charlesbourg.

[Richard Marceau, Bloc, Charlesbourg, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister can give all the explanations he likes, his legislation puts students in the same category as defrauders, criminals and those who fail to pay child support in the Bankruptcy Act.

How can the minister claim to be helping students when he is discrediting them by treating them as defrauders under the Bankruptcy Act?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I have just explained that there are a whole series of measures to enable students not to have to declare bankruptcy.

However, I find it both incredible and inconceivable that this same member opposes the millennium scholarships, which will provide $3,000 to 100,000 students a year. It is ridiculous.

The Senate

[Bill Gilmour, Reform, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, two days ago in the House the Deputy Prime Minister said: “The Senate is a partisan political body. It is organized along party lines. Why should the Prime Minister not appoint people who would support his party and the government program?” This is indeed quite an insight into the Liberal mindset.

Considering that the Deputy Prime Minister already considers the Senate to be a partisan body, will the Prime Minister explain to the House what the job description really is for a senator? Is it simply to be a Liberal?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the first thing a member of Parliament should do is read the Constitution.

In 1867 Canadians decided to have a Senate. It was a copy of the House of Lords in England. In the House of Lords members are named for life, and it goes from father to son.

Here there is a time limit. Some are partisan and some choose to sit as independents. It is their choice. The Senate studies and reflects on the bills of the House of Commons. It is not under the pressure of the next election. Perhaps we should not have—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Edmonton North.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, maybe white wigs would help in the Senate, who knows.

Senator Andrew Thompson's attendance record has been dismal for years. The Prime Minister only admitted this and it became an issue several months back when it became a disaster for public relations for the Liberal Party. Now Senator Andrew Thompson has retired so that he can get his huge enormous pension.

The Prime Minister still has not told Canadians what he considers to be the acceptable attendance record for senators. Will he answer for us today just how much is acceptable, 30%, 50%, which is it?

[The Speaker]

The member is asking an opinion of the Prime Minister. If he wants to answer the question, he can.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I know the question is not in order but it shows the desperation of the opposition.

The opposition does not know what to ask questions about, so it has to be completely out of order to get the attention of the House of Commons.

Fisheries

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-De-La-Madeleine—Pabok, QC]

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

Yesterday, the Prime Minister confirmed the view of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans that federal mismanagement of the fisheries has resulted in a disaster. He also seemed receptive to the idea that there must be assistance for fishers and fishery workers and told us that the Minister of Human Resources Development was working on it.

Can the minister tell the 22,000 people still relying on the TAGS program when and how they can be reassured about their future?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to have a Prime Minister who is concerned about the situation of fishers in eastern Canada as well as of those in British Columbia.

The Prime Minister asked me, in my capacity as Minister of Human Resources Development, to look at the situation of fishers and of fishery workers as well, which is of very great concern to us. This is why we are now looking at ways of making the transition to a post-TAGS environment in eastern Canada.

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-De-La-Madeleine—Pabok, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the minister that spring is now here. It is time he came out of hibernation and did something. Fishers are waiting.

Will the Minister of Human Resources Development follow up on the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, not just by extending the TAGS program, but also by launching a broad program of economic diversification for all coastal regions of eastern Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to see that our friends in the Bloc Quebecois are taking an interest in the adjustment program. We have often talked about the transitional job creation fund. It is one of the effective tools used by this government and we certainly intend to continue providing assistance to the unemployed in this way.

We are going to respond to the committee in due course. The TAGS program will wind up in August, as we have already announced in the House, and we are looking at the post-TAGS environment in a completely responsible fashion.

Transport

[Jake Hoeppner, Reform, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians hope there has been a mistake made by this government in deciding to investigate helicopter pilot John Gibson who heroically rescued two people in a Manitoba air crash.

Would the Prime Minister please tell this House what action he is willing to take to call off the investigation of this Canadian hero?

[Stan Keyes, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member asks an important question and I think he deserves an answer.

The answer is the individual is not being investigated. The helicopter pilot is part of a much larger investigation, one that stretches back starting in January. The investigation is looking at the flights that landed prior to and right after that tragic accident.

[Jake Hoeppner, Reform, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is confusing because the article reads differently.

I am wondering why there is no attention paid by this government to why there was not a helicopter in place to do the job instead of depending on a private helicopter pilot who was willing to risk his life to rescue these people and who is now getting the this type of publicity.

[Stan Keyes, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I hope the hon. member is not suggesting that we should ignore the rules that are laid down by Transport Canada.

We are trying to make sure that Transport Canada and all those who are flying have the safest system in the world. It has been demonstrated and it is very clear.

The individual in question is not being singled out. He is part of a larger investigation. If the hon. member read on in the newspaper articles he would have seen how Transport Canada has said on many occasions that the individual is part of a larger investigation, that the investigation—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Rimouski—Mitis.

Option Canada

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage has said that all information on Option Canada had been made public, but we are still waiting to get a copy of the letter the minister is supposed to have sent to the president of Option Canada requesting explanations on how $4.8 million was spent.

Will the Prime Minister intervene immediately to ensure the minister honours her commitments and the letter is made public right away, as she promised last Thursday?