Debates of June 1st, 1998

Public Service

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, the increase in the salary mass for managers over four years will be 7.96%. I have already indicated that we are ready to grant 2% a year for the next four years to the various unions, which is exactly the same percentage increase.

Already 10 of the groups have accepted to negotiate and have concluded negotiations. On Thursday the auditors agreed to figures of between 2% and 2.5%. Once again—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Fundy—Royal.

The Environment

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, last week I asked the environment minister to respond to the environment commissioner's report on this government's handling or mishandling of the environment.

This report clearly states that if the performance of the government does not improve the environment and the health of Canadians will be damaged. The commissioner states this government has no plan to protect Canada's biodiversity, no viable plan on climate change and it is failing to enforce its own environmental assessment guidelines.

Why is this minister allowing the government to deliberately abandon environment at the cabinet table?

[Christine Stewart, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, this government has not abandoned the environment agenda. It is very important to us.

We have important legislation before the House right now, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, which brings in very important amendments allowing the government to enforce better environmental quality for all Canadians.

As a nurse I am very concerned about the quality of our air and our water. I am very concerned, as is the government, about climate change. We want to protect our nature.

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act will allow us to improve the quality of our air and our water. I will be bringing in regulations this fall to do with sulphur in gasoline.

The Economy

[Susan Whelan, Liberal, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there is general agreement that Canada needs more computer experts and engineers to thrive in a knowledge based economy.

What is the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Technology doing to address the concerns raised by participants in Ottawa at the congress of the social sciences and humanities that social and cultural skills are also necessary in a knowledge based economy?

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Secretary of State (Science]

Mr. Speaker, first let me congratulate the 8,000 plus participants at the congress who come from a host of disciplines and whose wealth of knowledge contributes to the quality of life of Canadians.

We are doing a great deal. There are two examples. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council budget will be increased to $103 million by the year 2000. The federal government is funding a centre of excellence, Telelearning, that puts together what the social sciences and other sciences are able to do. In this case it gives Canadians the tools to adapt to the new knowledge based economy.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it has been six months since the Delgamuukw decision was handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Ownership of every square inch of British Columbia is in doubt. Industry is saying not one more nickel of investment until this is settled.

My question is for the minister of Indian affairs. Other than striking a committee to look at this matter, what is the minister doing about it?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, the whole intention of writing modern land claims in British Columbia is to achieve certainty.

Along with our partners, the province of British Columbia and the first nations, we are working to respond not only to Delgamuukw but to build on the B.C. treaty process.

I would note that the business community of British Columbia supports the government getting on with settling land claims and achieving certainty. I would hope the hon. member opposite would include himself and his party in such an important undertaking.

Communications Security Establishment

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 32(1) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the annual report of the Communications Security Establishment commissioner.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary 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 18 petitions.

Interparliamentary Delegation

[Yvon Charbonneau, Liberal, Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the report of the 28th annual meeting of the Canada-France interparliamentary association.

House Committees

[Guy St-Julien, Liberal, Abitibi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Pursuant to its order of reference dated Tuesday, May 5, 1998, the committee has considered Bill C-30, an act respecting the powers of the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia in relation to education, and has agreed to report it without amendment.

Income Tax Act

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-412, an act to amend the Income Tax Act (food expenses).

Mr. Speaker, very briefly the purpose of the bill is to allow people engaged in the bicycle courier business to deduct certain food expenses from their taxable income.

The amendment would allow recognition of the fact that couriers consume large amounts of extra fuel, so to speak, to perform their duties. Those who use their cars for business purposes can deduct expenses under certain circumstances. The bill is intended to extend such benefits to bicycle couriers.

The policy goal is to encourage greater use of bicycle couriers, given the health and environmental benefits of having fewer cars and more bicycles on our city streets. This measure is also intended to encourage bicycle couriers to file tax returns, resulting in increased tax revenues for the federal government.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Petitions

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions today. The first concerns police officers and firefighters.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that our police officers and firefighters are required to place their lives at risk on a daily basis as they execute their duties and that employment benefits of those killed in the line of duty do not adequately compensate their families.

The public mourns the loss of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty and wish to support their families in a tangible way in their time of need.

The petitioners therefore call upon parliament to establish a public safety officers compensation fund for the benefit of families of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition has to do with the family.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that managing the family home and caring for preschool children is an honourable profession which has not been recognized for its value to our society.

The petitioners also concur with the National Forum on Health that the Income Tax Act discriminates against families who choose to provide care in the home to preschool children.

The petitioners therefore call upon parliament to eliminate tax discrimination against families who choose to provide direct parental care to preschool children.

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour today to present three petitions.

The first one bears 1,385 signatures of electors resident in New Brunswick, primarily in the districts of Havelock, Petitcodiac and Salisbury.

These electors are concerned with the federal-provincial agreements for financing segments of highways which do not preclude the collection of provincial highway tolls on jointly financed projects.

The petitioners therefore call upon parliament, specifically with reference to one existing road, to terminate any plans which would allow future tolls to be collected on the River Glade to Moncton portion of highway No. 2 in New Brunswick.

The second petition is also with respect to highways. This is about the fifth or sixth petition I have received with respect to the death strip in western Saskatchewan. It brings the total number of signatures I have now presented in the House on this subject to 2,210.

The petitioners draw attention to the fact that the two lane highway between Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, and the Alberta border on the Trans-Canada Highway has caused the deaths of 39 people in the last 20 years.

They humbly 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.

I might note that today on another death strip on the Trans-Canada three people were killed near Golden, B.C., again because of the decrepit condition of the highway.

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the final petition contains 36 signatures from residents of Saskatchewan.

This is one of several that have already been presented in the House calling upon parliament to immediately legislate a moratorium on rail line abandonments in the three prairie provinces pending completion of Mr. Justice Estey's review and the presentation of his report on the grain handling system.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present two petitions dealing with the same subject.

The first petition has been signed by 615 petitioners who petition parliament to support the motion of the representative from Yorkton—Melville that in the opinion of the House the government should bring in legislation in accordance with provisions of the Referendum Act, 1992, which would require a binding national referendum to be held at the time of the next election to ask voters whether or not they are in favour of government funding of medically unnecessary abortions.

The second petition is on exactly the same subject, the same motion. It is signed by 125 petitioners who present it to parliament for its consideration.

[Ken Epp, Reform, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to represent people mostly from my riding but others as well who have a problem with the CRTC.

An executive summary of their petition would be that they want to preserve freedom of religion, conscience and expression, and to stop the CRTC policy which seems to systematically favour sexually explicit and violent programming over what is called good, wholesome programming.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I suggest that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Jean Dubé, Progressive Conservative, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have been up many times over the past several months on Question No. 21.

Question No. 21 was asked on October 3, 1997. It is a long time to wait for an answer to a question. I am sure the parliamentary secretary is doing his best to get the question answered.

I asked the question last week. Will we get the answer before the break? Could the parliamentary secretary answer?

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the member is quite right. I know he has been following Question No. 21 very closely.

I pointed out previously that we have received almost 1,000 petitions and we have responded to 70% of them, the vast majority within 45 days. In the case of the questions we have answered approximately 75%.

Question No. 21, as the member knows, involves consultations with every minister in cabinet. That is what is taking the time. I assure the member he will have a reply as soon as is humanly possible.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Shall the remaining questions stand?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.