Debates of June 1st, 1998

Employment Insurance

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, it is in the consolidated revenue fund.

[Monte Solberg, Reform, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I guess that is cold comfort for people who thought it was going to be set aside for a rainy day.

As the minister knows, the EI fund is imaginary like leprechauns and unicorns, like the Bre-X gold fields and like the Prime Minister's homeless friend.

When will the finance minister break the bad news to all Canadians? When will he tell them the job safety net that was supposed to be set aside is spent and gone? What does he have to show for the $15 billion that Canadians put in there other than an IOU?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, since our government took office we have made four cuts to EI premiums.

They have gone from $3.30 down to $2.70. For every 10 cents we cut in those EI premiums, it costs over $700 million. The hon. member has to come clean. If he wants us to make the cuts there, where is he going to cut? Is he going to cut that out of reductions to the debt? Is he going to cut that out of other tax relief? Is he going to cut it out of transfers to the provinces? Is he going to cut it out of transfers for pensions or health care?

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue should be ashamed for saying that he made workers pay the debt. While the Minister of Finance is spending the $17 billion surplus in the EI fund, fewer than 40% of unemployed workers are receiving EI benefits.

Will the Minister of Human Resources Development stop conducting studies and take action? Will he change the EI eligibility criteria in order to help the 780,000 workers who are not receiving benefits?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have said on many occasions in this House and throughout the country, it is clear that our government is concerned about the fact that only 42% of unemployed workers are covered under the existing EI system.

My department has asked Statistics Canada to add a number of questions over the coming months so that we may get a clear picture of the situation these unemployed workers are facing. My department will be able to analyze the information provided by Statistics Canada and make informed decisions.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the sooner they quit doing studies and get on with it, the happier I will be.

Seventeen billion dollars is a lot of money. Why is this government refusing to help unemployed workers facing hard times? Sixty per cent of them are not receiving benefits and, of those who are, many are getting barely 30% of their salary.

Will the Minister of Human Resources Development show that he has a heart and increase EI benefits so that poor families can buy clothing and food for their children?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government does have a heart and it does not want to see these people—

[An hon. member]

That is not true.

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC]

—condemned to live on EI for the rest of their lives, to a cycle of EI and unstable work.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC]

On the contrary, what we want is for Canadian workers—

[The Speaker]

Dear colleagues, I am sure that we all want to hear the answer. The hon. Minister of Human Resources Development.

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what I wanted to say before the members opposite interrupted was that we want Canadian workers to have access to the labour market. That is why we have increased active job measures.

We have created a transitional jobs fund in order to help thousands of Canadians stay off EI and enter the job market, because that is the best way of being sure that one can buy clothing for one's children, to pick up on what the member said.

Nuclear Testing

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday Pakistan detonated its sixth nuclear device, adding to the five set off by India last month. Pakistan has China to thank for making this possible.

In the past when the world looked to Canada for leadership to help reduce regional tensions, Canada was there. On Friday the Times of London called on Canada to again assert our leadership role.

Will the Prime Minister send negotiators to India, Pakistan and China to diffuse this nuclear arms race?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has already offered to mediate the Kashmir situation with both India and Pakistan. Unfortunately to date India has not been willing to accept Canadian mediation.

If it will help the situation, Canada is ready to offer its good offices at the request of the international community. Canada has already taken firm action to deplore the actions of India and Pakistan. Canada is playing its part and will continue to do so to try to restore stability in that part of the world and avoid any nuclear conflagration. I think we are acting effectively and we will continue to do so.

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have heard of nuclear warheads but never before of a nuclear war horse.

Yesterday U.S. senator and former ambassador to India Daniel Patrick Moynihan said the world is closer to a nuclear war than we have been at any point since the Cuban missile crisis.

China, a communist totalitarian regime, is providing Pakistan with the technology to take on India, the world's largest democracy. Any meaningful Canadian intervention needs to engage China as well as India and Pakistan.

Will the Prime Minister commit to sending an envoy to India, Pakistan and China today?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think the factual basis of the hon. member's allegations about China needs to be tested. I repeat that Canada is ready to play a full role in helping to mediate the matter. However, to do it most effectively it has to be done in concert with other like minded countries, and that is what we are doing.

People With Disabilities

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, recently Rick Hansen met with me to discuss neurotrauma and initiatives to promote prevention and rehabilitation.

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development. Is the government going to provide assistance for people with disabilities in western Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to say the Government of Canada is working to ensure that people with disabilities can participate fully in Canadian society.

We have recently announced employability assistance agreements for people with disabilities with British Columbia and Manitoba. Under the British Columbia agreement, the Government of Canada will contribute $25.25 million annually over the next five years to help the British Columbian government assist persons with disabilities to find employment. Details of the agreements with Manitoba and other western provinces will be available soon.

Employment Insurance

[Dick Harris, Reform, Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week the finance minister denied that cutting EI premiums would create some jobs. However, last fall when he cut 20 cents from the EI premium he could not wait to tell the whole world about all the jobs it was going to create.

On which occasion was the finance minister telling the truth?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the hon. member draws attention to the job creation record of this government. When we took office unemployment was at 11.4%. Since then 1.2 million jobs have been created by our buoyant Canadian economy.

We have the strongest job growth rate in the entire G-7. This is a result of the measures we have put into force. We are the first member of the G-7 to eliminate its deficit. We are now paying down our debt. The figures we see today show record business confidence. We had a gross rate in the first quarter of—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Lévis.

Spirit Of Columbus Platform

[Antoine Dubé, Bloc, Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade. Since September 1996, Davie industries has been negotiating financial guarantees for a contract to rebuild the Brazilian oil platform Spirit of Columbus .

Given that the platform has been anchored in Quebec City since September 1997, that SDI has provided its share of the financial guarantees, and that nearly 30% of the job is already completed, why is the federal government dragging its feet in giving the financial guarantees so that MIL Davie can complete this major contract?

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I met with ministers from Quebec on this issue. I also directed EDC to work with its counterpart in Quebec, la Société de développement du Québec. Both came up with a single plan. The last time I checked the file both those societies were working with Davie and the other stakeholders to come to grips with the situation.

Public Service

[Bev Desjarlais, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, today's senior managers in the public service will receive performance bonuses of up to 10% after having received pay raises of up to 19%. Services have been cut. Rank and file workers are being penalized with wage freezes and court battles for pay equity. The pay equity tribunal ruling is expected in July. Already the Treasury Board president is hinting at appealing the decision.

Why will Treasury Board not treat all employees equally?