House of Commons Hansard #83 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was commission.
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the issue of tied selling has been referred to the committee. The committee is currently taking a look at it and the government eagerly anticipates its findings.
Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Bloc Laval Centre, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Energy.
The Official Languages Act requires the government to provide its services in French and in English. However, the act is not always complied with on certain sites on the Internet.
Is the Minister of Industry aware that several links of the STRATEGIS site are in English only, contrary to the recommendations of the commissioner of official languages, who asked that any information be produced in both official languages, as early as January 1997?
Walt Lastewka LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry has spoken on this subject once before. He has taken note of the questions brought before this House. The Minister of Industry endeavours to continue to work toward the programs on the Internet being fully bilingual.
Chris Axworthy NDP Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK
Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Minister of Finance.
We know now that our friends in the United States and in Europe are toughening up their merger legislation. At the same time Canada is just trundling along as it has before never really seriously looking at mergers and anti-competitive activities.
Why is the government not prepared to stand up for consumers in a competitive market structure? Why is it more prepared to run the franchise “Mergers R Us”?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, speaking for the Minister of Industry who has the responsibility for the competition bureau, as the member knows, the competition bureau has reviewed all of its procedures. I can let the member know that our procedures in this area are as tough and as enlightened as any other country's procedures.
Diane St-Jacques Progressive Conservative Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, the details of the financial assistance provided to Canadians infected with hepatitis C through Canada's blood system will be worked out based on the seriousness of their condition, through a negotiation process submitted to the courts.
Why is the Minister of Health putting the fate of the victims of that tragedy in the hands of the courts, instead of offering them an assistance program similar to the one for AIDS victims?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the federal government's position is that we have offered compensation. Details will be negotiated with the victims' legal representatives, and I hope negotiations will begin immediately.
John Duncan Reform Vancouver Island North, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have a question on behalf of Mr. Bob Hunter of Campbell River in my riding. This question is for the Minister of Justice.
As you know we have been having a terrible time in fisheries with the disappearance of fish stocks. However, the justice department has a great catch and release policy. My suggestion is that we switch ministers so that the justice minister runs fisheries and oceans and the fisheries minister runs justice. That way criminals would be as scarce as cod fish and there would be lots of fish in the ocean.
Will the Minister of Justice change places with the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that just as nobody wishes to switch with the official opposition critic for fisheries, no minister is willing to switch with the minister of fisheries.
Lynn Myers Liberal Waterloo—Wellington, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the solicitor general.
New Brunswick, Ontario and Nova Scotia are experimenting with jails planned, constructed or operated by private interests. Does the solicitor general advocate that the federal government should also privatize prisons or should prisons continue to be run by the public sector?
Andy Scott LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, let me advise the House that there are no plans to privatize the operation of any federal facility of that kind. We have a strong tradition to involve non-government agencies and others in the private sector impartial to our operation. In fact some 12% of our operation is handled outside the public service.
The ethical questions relating to the kinds of powers that are enforced by the correctional service are very serious and there has been no establishment that in fact there are savings to be accomplished.
Michel Bellehumeur Bloc Berthier—Montcalm, QC
Mr. Speaker, although it is home to 25% of young Canadians, Quebec receives only 18% of federal funds allocated to the provinces for use in implementing the federal Young Offenders Act.
On October 25, the Quebec justice minister wrote to the federal justice minister asking that Quebec be given its fair share of compensation.
Since six months have gone by and the minister has not deigned to give the minister an answer, will she at least announce in the House whether she intends to follow up on Quebec's pressing request for its fair share?
Eleni Bakopanos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I will inquire into the reason why the hon. member of the opposition has not yet received a reply.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, Justice Krever said in his final report that the compassion of a society can be judged by the measures it takes to reduce the impact of tragedy on its members. That compassion requires the government to act on behalf of everyone infected by blood transfusions.
Will the Minister of Health commit himself today to begin to develop a compensation package for at least those hepatitis C victims who are sick and who were infected before 1986?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, 13 ministers of health, including those from Saskatchewan and British Columbia, took into account what the Krever commission had recommended. We took into account the need for compassion but also faced up to our responsibilities as ministers of governments who have to make the right decision.
In all those circumstances for the reasons that were explained on Friday and developed here in the House today in response to other questions asked, we chose to proceed as we did. It is noteworthy that all governments in Canada acted together in making that decision.
Diane St-Jacques Progressive Conservative Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to Bob Rae, the chief negotiator for the Red Cross, “it would be far wiser and far more fair if compensation were not linked to a specific time period, but rather to the fact that people contracted the disease from a blood transfusion”.
Is the Minister of Health going to ignore the recommendations of the Red Cross chief negotiator, or is he going to show some compassion and extend assistance to all the victims?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, if I may say so, the Red Cross is not really in a position to make comments.
Where is the Red Cross? Has it contributed one nickel to this compensation package? Of course not. The Red Cross is not exactly in an ideal position to comment on the compensation paid by governments to the victims who are in part the victims of the Red Cross itself.
Jim Abbott Reform Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals make a great noise about the fact that they want to stand up for the owners of copyright under the copyright law. Therefore, it was surprising to me that the House leader had no answer for the question that was asked earlier.
Let me ask him another question about copyright. Why is it that appointments have not been made to the copyright board? Why has it taken so long? When are appointments going to be made to the board?
Walt Lastewka LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes the importance of the copyright board.
I should mention that the copyright board has operated, without incident, for many years. The amount of work required by the copyright board has been minimal. However, now the copyright board is getting more and more items coming before it for review.
The appointments will be looked at in the future by the Minister of Industry.
Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 10 petitions.
Andy Mitchell Liberalfor the Minister of Canadian Heritage
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-38, an act to amend the National Parks Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Chuck Cadman Reform Surrey North, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-388, an act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (withdrawal of applications for full parole by offenders serving two or more years).
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Wild Rose for seconding this bill.
I am privileged to introduce this private member's bill which would amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. The present act not only permits offenders to make application for parole, it also allows them to withdraw that application at any time with little if any repercussion. They can then reapply almost immediately.
A great deal of time, effort and money is expended by authorities to prepare for these parole hearings. Arguably even more troubling is the fact that victims expend enormous emotional and perhaps financial resources in preparing to attend these hearings which frequently take place far from their homes. Not only does it make little sense, it is just not good enough to permit offenders to have complete control over a process that burdens the taxpayer and revictimizes the victim.
These amendments will place a consequence on offenders who withdraw applications for parole at the last moment. Unless there are reasonable and valid grounds for withdrawal, the offender will be barred from reapplying for a period of two years.
I urge all members to give careful consideration to the support of these amendments.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
John Duncan Reform Vancouver Island North, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by 29 residents of Sointula which is in my riding.
The petitioners are asking parliament to impose a moratorium on the ratification of the multilateral agreement on investment until public hearings on the proposed treaty are held across Canada.
Jay Hill Reform Prince George—Peace River, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 36(6) to present a petition from the residents of the riding of Prince George—Peace River regarding the multilateral agreement on investment.
The petitioners wish to draw the attention of the House to the fact that this government has done precious little to communicate the terms under negotiation to the Canadian people. Therefore they request that parliament impose a moratorium on the ratification of the MAI until full public hearings on the proposed treaty are held across the country.
Lee Morrison Reform Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present today. Two of them are very similar in form and content. They follow several other petitions that I have previously presented on this subject.
There are 681 signatures from residents of my riding who live adjacent to the infamous Trans-Canada death strip. The Saskatchewan government has recently announced plans to do some upgrading on the death strip and to start twinning. So far the federal government has not offered to contribute its share.
The petitioners say that, notwithstanding the constitutional division of powers, the federal government has a responsibility to assist provinces with upgrading sub-standard sections of the Trans-Canada Highway.
The petitioners humbly pray and call upon parliament to instruct its servants to immediately commence negotiations with the Government of Saskatchewan to jointly fund the upgrading of this vital national transportation link by constructing two additional lanes.