Debates of May 14th, 1998

Justice

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, seven years ago James Mills was murdered while in Renous prison in New Brunswick. Yesterday in question period I asked the solicitor general if he would press charges in this case and he quite correctly answered he could not. I understand that.

I hope the solicitor general understands the frustration of the Mills family and myself. It has been seven years since this murder took place and nothing has ever happened.

We have used the House in question period. We have met with Corrections Canada. We have met with the RCMP. We have met with the minister. We have used access to information.

I was even working on this when I was a member of parliament in 1992. I was defeated. I am back now. I am working on it again. I am still frustrated.

I say to the solicitor general that seven years is too long for the Mills family to wait. The government owes the Mills family an explanation. It owes them justice or at least an apology.

Varennes Tokamak Project

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it was my intent this week to rise in this House to congratulate the Tokamak project, in Varennes, for receiving the 1998 Award for Excellence from the Canadian Nuclear Association for its exceptional contribution to the development of fusion science and technology.

Unfortunately, the Tokamak project, in Varennes, came to an abrupt end, last Tuesday, because of the total lack of vision and foresight of the Liberal government. Its penny pinching, by completely cutting its modest $7.2 million annual contribution, led to the Tokamak project being shut down.

But it is much more than $7.2 million in annual investment from the federal government that the province of Quebec will lose. It will lose the fruit of 20 years of labour, tens of millions of dollars in investments, first class research infrastructures, significant technological benefits, a promising renewable energy project, world renowned and experienced researchers and an enviable international reputation in the area of nuclear fusion.

Quebec comes off the loser, how else would one put it?

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Wanuskewin.

Criminal Code

[Maurice Vellacott, Reform, Wanuskewin, SK]

Mr. Speaker, a lot of loving reasonable Canadian parents spank their children on occasion. The minister of heritage wants them thrown in prison, and that will happen when section 43 of the Criminal Code is removed.

The minister of heritage has signed an agreement that renews funding for the federal court challenges program which hands $3 million to her Liberal friends so that they can engage in social engineering through the courts. She has no right to grant some citizen groups easy access to the courts while shutting out others who represent the values of the majority of Canadians.

What gives the minister of heritage the right to create this uneven playing field, removing justice from the justice system? Why is the government using public money to support a systematic program of legal warfare against its very own citizens, in this case reasonable and responsible parents?

National Mining Week

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is recognized as a global leader in the sustainable production of minerals and metals. It ranks among the world's top five producers for some 16 major mineral commodities.

This world class industry has led to a rise in the demand for workers and highly skilled professionals and created growth in the mining-related manufacturing sector, including the environmental technology and services area.

Mining related jobs are an important source of high paying employment for many rural and remote communities across Canada.

National Mining Week celebrates the great contribution mining makes to our country. It takes place from May 11 to May 17. The theme of the 1998 National Mining Week is “Mining makes it happen”.

I call on all members of the House to join with me in saluting the men and women who have helped to make the Canadian mining industry a world leader.

Hepatitis C

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today at the hepatitis C conference the victims blew the lid off the health minister's excuses.

The head of the Canadian Hemophilia Society told the conference that the number of victims infected before 1986 who are sick enough to need compensation is probably only 5,000 to 8,000. That is a far cry from the 60,000 people the health minister's propaganda suggests.

Is the government prepared to pay all those victims who are sick enough to help, yes or no?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it would appear the organizations of victims had a very useful dialogue with the provincial health ministers and the federal health minister. Now the ministers are carrying on a discussion and we are very anxious to see what consensus will emerge on the part of the provincial ministers so that we can take appropriate action.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it seems that in these discussions the federal health minister has sat in stony silence. Nobody knows what the federal government's position is.

The highest responsibility lies with the federal government because it is the regulator of the blood system. This government is trying to blame the provinces and say it is their fault.

Will this government accept its responsibility and compensate all these victims, yes or no?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has always acted responsibly. I remind the member that when Justice Krever published his first interim report the Government of Canada acted immediately on all recommendations that had relevance under federal authority.

Under that same federal authority, the federal minister brought his colleagues together and together they fashioned out packages that served the short term, medium term and long term interests of both hepatitis C victims and those who need a health care system that addresses need when it occurs.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the provinces were the ones that called for this get together. It certainly was not the federal health minister who called for it.

David Page of the Canadian Hemophilia Society said this today when he came out of the meeting: “Three provinces, Ontario, Quebec and B.C., are willing to move forward. What is missing is federal money here. With federal money we think the rest of the provinces would be on side”.

Again, will the government commit to leading the way in giving compensation to all victims who need government help, yes or no?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has always and continues to believe in addressing the needs of Canadians as they occur. It also believes in working together with all the deliverers of the health care system and they are the provincial and territorial authorities.

What we have done and continue to do is address the interests of all Canadians in a collaborative effort in order to be efficient and effective.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, listen to the government's excuses for not compensating these victims. First off, its numbers. It said 60,000 to 80,000 victims. The victims say it is 23,000. It then goes on to the issue of fault. The victims say they will sign no fault. It then said the whole thing would break the system. These are all excuses.

Why is the government continuing to try to get this conference to fail?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member himself in the House said that compensation should be based on fault. Now he has changed his position from what he originally said. So much for his credibility.

We do not want this conference to fail. We want it to succeed in the interests of victims. We are actively taking part in the conference and trying to treat the matter very seriously.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let me make my position clear again: compensation for every victim. This is quite different from the Deputy Prime Minister.

This is the headline the health minister hopes to take out of this meeting: “Oh, we couldn't reach a consensus. The provinces are at fault”.

If this federal government had taken a powerful position into these meetings, if it had gone in there as leaders, we would have a solution to this.

Why has this federal government been followers instead of leaders?

[Joe Volpe, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I do not imagine the member opposite has ever thought that his theatrics might be clouding his judgment.

The fact that we have a conference attended by ministers at all three levels sitting together trying to fashion out a package that will address all the needs of all the victims and all sufferers is an indication of leadership. If he objects to leadership that involves the federal authority bringing together partners at the provincial and territorial level, he has a different—

[The Speaker]

The hon. leader of the Bloc Quebecois.

David Levine

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the hiring of David Levine as director of the hospital centre in Ottawa has caused a real uproar in the region.

In this respect, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs stated “I hope that Canada will be more unified than ever and that full use will be made of available talents”.

Does the minister realize that in making this statement he is clearly saying that, as far as he is concerned, it is perfectly all right not to make full use of talents available across Canada if these are sovereignist talents as long as the national issue has not been resolved?

[The Speaker]

The way the question was put, it seems to me this is something that might be better dealt with outside this House.

I will allow the question since reference was made to a statement supposedly made by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.

So, the hon. Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs has the floor if he wishes to respond.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, in this highly decentralized federation of ours, a minister of the federal crown does not have the power to decide who should be hired by a hospital.

This does not mean we cannot deplore the fact that this federation, this country of ours, is not unified enough for such a problem not to arise.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot see how this would be a problem in Quebec. However, I can see how it is a problem elsewhere, and particularly in the national capital.

Let me quote the minister again. He said “As long as there is a threat of separation, this kind of problem is to be expected”.

Does the minister recognize that, by the irresponsible remarks he made and keeps making, he is condoning and justifying the unacceptable behaviour of those who wish to take this position away from Mr. Levine simply because he once ran in an election under the sovereignist banner?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we ought to be pleased to see the leader of the Bloc suggest that the federal government interfere in an area wholly under provincial jurisdiction.

What position will the Bloc take next in this House in support of the federal position? Are they turning totally against Quebec separating from the rest of Canada?

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister is missing the point.

We are not asking the federal government to interfere. We are simply asking the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, who made some unfortunate statements, to give us an explanation.

Will the minister not admit that his ministerial responsibility is not to add fuel to the fire on an issue such as this one, but rather to strongly condemn those who want to prevent someone from getting a job because of his political beliefs?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I have nothing to add to what I said. The unity problem in Canada creates this kind of difficulty.

It is fortunate this is happening in Canada, because in all the other democracies I know, this kind of difficulty would be even more acute with the threat of separation.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs realize what he just said?

Does he not understand that he just sent the message to all sovereignists in Quebec that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom, which prohibits discrimination based on political beliefs, does not apply to them? That is what he just said.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing in which I strongly believe, it is freedom of conscience. I strongly believe that politics should have no influence whatsoever on the public service. I would never ask anybody to take an oath of allegiance.

But in light of the threat of separation, we are lucky that this kind of problem is not as severe in Canada as it would be in other democracies.