Debates of June 10th, 1998

Accueil Bonneau

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

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

We were saddened to hear of the explosion at Accueil Bonneau yesterday over the noon hour, which left three persons dead and a number of its volunteers and homeless clients injured. The suffering of the victims was at least lessened by the admirable speed with which staff and passers-by intervened, as well as the rapid response by emergency services.

Can the Prime Minister tell us what the Government of Canada will be doing to help these people out?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, all of us were saddened by this tragedy affecting the most disadvantaged Montrealers. We will be making all of the government's services available to the people there in order to help them overcome these most unfortunate circumstances.

Immediately after Oral Question Period, the Minister of Human Resources Development will be leaving for Montreal to meet with the management and to offer financial and other assistance to help them through this tragedy.

Hepatitis C

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health today does a great disservice to Justice Krever who by no stretch of the imagination recommended a two tier system of compensation for hepatitis C victims.

In a letter dated January 28, 1991 experts recommended to the government that contaminated plasma not be used for coagulation products. A decision was made anyway to use this stock for the sake of money.

Will the Minister of Health admit that the federal regulator failed to protect those infected after 1990? Will he adopt a position on hepatitis C compensation—

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Health.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I have responded on the factual matters to other members of the House just this afternoon. If the member wants to know what the policy of the government of the day was in relation to such tests, perhaps she ought to take it up with the party then in office.

As far as we are concerned we have adopted all the recommendations of Mr. Justice Krever. Seventeen of his 50 were in relation to regulation and safety. We have adopted them. We have every intention of putting them into effect, spending the money, the time and the energy necessary to ensure that we have the safest blood supply system in the world for the future.

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is the hepatitis C victims who are left out in the cold.

Is the Minister of Health prepared today, before we leave this session, to give some assurances to hepatitis C victims that they will be compensated on the basis of collective responsibility and human compassion and not on the basis of the amount of money in his wallet or on the basis of legal technicalities?

Joey Haché knows that the government is wrong and he is setting out across this country to prove it. For the sake of Joey and everyone else, will the minister take action and correct the ills in the health protection branch today?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, there is a process in place between governments to look at all the options for dealing with hepatitis C victims.

Throughout this session of parliament there is a trend that has emerged from the NDP. It is to make suggestions on a daily and weekly basis, a sort of procédé du jour from the NDP. A few weeks ago it was satellites and toys that were going to endanger the health of children and that proved to be wrong. Then there was an international conspiracy in relation to drug testing which proved to be wrong. Two weeks ago it was albumin that was a threat to health and that proved to be wrong.

If the member wants to be taken seriously she should—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Madawaska—Restigouche.

Employment Insurance

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

Mr. Speaker, unemployed Canadians across the country are continuing to suffer.

When the government introduced EI reforms in 1996, approximately 40% of the unemployed did not qualify for EI. Today as a result of that reform nearly 72% of the unemployed are on welfare because they no longer qualify for EI assistance.

Will the minister tell the House that the act must be restructured to ensure Canadians that when they need EI assistance EI will be there for them?

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

Mr. Speaker, first of all the number of people on welfare in Canada is the lowest that it has been in five years because of the performing economy.

Second, the member can look at his own province of New Brunswick. He will find that 80% of people in New Brunswick are covered by the employment insurance system and not the number that he mentioned this afternoon in the House for his own province.

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

Mr. Speaker, there certainly seems to be confusion between Ottawa and the ridings. All local HRDC offices are of the opinion that the reforms are not effective. It is the minister's position to sit back and accept the status quo rather than to examine the shortcomings of his department.

The 1997 employment insurance monitoring assessment report failed to show what we already know, that the EI system is not working properly. Will the minister tell the House today that he will revamp the EI act and give Canadians the assistance they need when they need it?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have been very clear on this issue.

We are well aware that after 25 years we have made the most important reform of the employment insurance system to overhaul it, update it and modernize it to better serve Canadians with the new conditions in the labour market. We will have to monitor it very closely. We are well aware of it.

This is the reason that I tabled in the House last January the first report of the impact of our EI reforms on Canadians and the unemployed. We will do it every year to make sure that the impact of our reforms serves Canadians well.

Nigeria

[David Pratt, Liberal, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa.

The death of Nigerian dictator General Sani Abacha and his replacement by an interim leader still leaves Africa's most populous country firmly in the grip of a military junta.

Can the minister advise the House what steps the Government of Canada is going to take in the weeks and months ahead to encourage the restoration of democracy in Nigeria?

[David Kilgour, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, Nigeria and its hundred million residents can be among the leaders of the renaissance across the continent of Africa.

The death of General Abacha, as I am sure my colleagues agree, provides an opportunity to open a new day for Nigeria and the Nigerian people. General Abubakar could start by releasing Chief Abiola who is now coming up to his fifth year in prison. This would be a wonderful step for Nigeria and for the entire world.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Reed Elley, Reform, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in a letter that I will table later, Indian affairs informs the chief of the Chemainus Band that it knows of the illegal timber harvest which is taking place on their reserve just outside of Nanaimo. Instead of enforcing its own regulations, in the same letter Indian affairs officials are offering to participate in a criminal act by helping the chief and council sell the timber from this old growth forest.

Will the minister of Indian affairs intervene and order that this timber be seized before any more is permitted to leave the reserve illegally?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will be happy to review the circumstances surrounding this case.

Casinos On Cruise Ships

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.

For the past 10 years, those involved in tourism in the Quebec City region have been calling for a change to the Criminal Code to allow casinos on cruise ships to operate until an hour prior to arrival in port at Quebec City, instead of having to cease operations as soon as they enter the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Does the minister not see that the federal inaction in such a simple matter is depriving the entire Quebec City region of sizeable economic spin-offs, as it has for the past 10 years.

We are asking her to do something, for once and for all. When will she be taking action?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as a government we understand the importance of this aspect of tourism to the province and people of Quebec. In fact I will be making an announcement in this regard very soon.

Justice

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. On Monday, members of all parties, except Reform, strongly supported the Ontario court of appeal decision in Rosenberg extending pension equality in the Income Tax Act to gay and lesbian couples.

Will the minister accept this courageous decision and agree not to appeal it? Will the government also review all federal laws to ensure that they reflect the equality principles which were eloquently set out in the Rosenberg decision?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, my department is reviewing the Rosenberg decision. I will be providing legal advice to my colleague the Minister of Finance in relation to the Rosenberg decision. As with all decisions in this area, we will review their implications for either the Income Tax Act or other federal laws.

Employment

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

Mr. Speaker, I really enjoyed the answer by the minister of human resources but I certainly do not see the previous minister there, the infamous Doug Young.

According to the figures of the Department of Human Resources Development, last summer New Brunswick received $5.6 million for a summer career placement program. This summer the province will receive some $300,000 less. Students across Canada are being affected by these cuts. Will the minister explain to the students of New Brunswick why they deserve less funding this summer?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member should be very happy because the number of unemployed has gone down in New Brunswick. It is why the project is being reallocated.

Our government has doubled the jobs program. We have taken it from $60 million to $120 million Canada-wide, and the funding allocation formula is based on the number of students in a province, its unemployment rate, and its needs.

School Management

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Even though education comes under provincial jurisdiction, the federal government is prepared to help Ontario's official language minority by managing its schools under the terms of an agreement signed last week.

Could the minister tell us how this agreement differs from similar ones signed with other provincial governments?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the members from all political parties who worked together to come up with an agreement that represents a $180 million investment, over a five-year period, in French language education in Ontario. This initiative will have an impact on more than 100,000 students attending 426 Ontario schools.

The difference between this agreement and others is that we demand a business plan that emphasizes concrete objectives, instead of simply giving away money.

Banff National Park

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Banff. Last fall the minister shut down a democratic process top down. She then established a new process. Her Secretary of State for Parks has been working directly with the mayor and the council has been involved in the process right from the word go. Yet without even knowing the results, without even having a bylaw, the minister has said there is no way she will even respect the democratic process. Why is she knee-capping her own secretary of state and ignoring the democratic process?