Debates of Sept. 29th, 1998

Apec Summit

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister talks tough here on the floor of the House of Commons but what we see on TV is quite a different picture than that.

When the minister is visiting a foreign dictatorship he does not talk about those except maybe privately he lets us know that. He missed a chance to show dictators from around the world what real democracy should look like.

Just what lesson did the minister hope these foreign dictators would learn when he pepper sprayed peaceful protesters?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, frankly the premise of the hon. member's question is absurd.

The whole question about what happened on the UBC campus is under investigation by a commission. It will determine who is responsible.

I want to make very clear to the hon. member, because I do not think she understands, that during all these meetings we were able to demonstrate very clearly that the openness of this country was expressed at APEC. We raised issues that Canadians asked us to raise.

To use a comment of a previous speaker, her question was a lot of—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst.

Employment Insurance

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

Mr. Speaker, when he was Leader of the Opposition, the Prime Minister wrote “By lowering premiums and increasing the penalties for those who voluntarily leave their job, it is obvious that the government is not very concerned about the victims of the economic crisis. Instead of getting at the root of the problem, it targets the unemployed”.

Now the Minister of Finance has his eye on the surplus in the EI fund. Will the Prime Minister keep the promise he made in the spring of 1993 and come to the assistance of Canada's unemployed workers?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we have done. We have created 1.2 million new jobs in Canada since being elected to office.

The rate of unemployment has dropped from 11.4% to 8.3%. The Minister of Human Resources Development has implemented all sorts of programs to help people adjust to the workplace and get ready for new jobs.

That has been the focus of this government for the past five years, and it continues to be our focus.

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

Mr. Speaker, 60% of unemployed workers do not qualify for EI because you have forced them to go on welfare.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

My colleague, I must ask you to put your remarks through the Chair.

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

Mr. Speaker, as with the GST and pay equity, the Prime Minister seems to have forgotten the promise he made to unemployed Canadians.

To use the Prime Minister's own words, the government should quit targeting the employed and get at the root of the problem. The problem is that over 60% of unemployed workers in this country do not qualify for benefits.

Will the government use the fund surplus to increase access to EI, instead of forcing people to go on welfare?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member bothered to look at the facts, he would see not only that the number of unemployed workers has dropped, but also that the number of people on welfare has decreased in all provinces of Canada since we formed the government.

The number of unemployed workers has dropped, as has the number of people on welfare, because we had the right policies. We know what the facts are, and the member will not alter reality by choosing to ignore them.

Apec Summit

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, last night the Prime Minister proved once and for all that his government really is the home of the whopper when he said that his government had never been involved in scandal in the last five years.

We now know that all but one of the RCMP public complaints commissioners were appointed by the Prime Minister. Why should Canadians have any faith that the public complaints commissioner will get to the bottom of the APEC peppergate scandal when this is not arm's length or accountable?

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is very inappropriate for a member of parliament to say that anybody who wants to do public service for their country to get to the truth in this matter can somehow not be independent. I do not accept that premise and I do not think Canadians accept it either.

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, not even the Prime Minister's imaginary homeless friend believes that the government is not involved in this APEC matter. The mandate of the RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner is not holding him back. He admitted as much yesterday in his statement.

Will he commit to making a ministerial statement in the House to convene a public inquiry if the commission confirms next week that its mandate does not include the involvement of political interference?

[Andy Scott, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the kind of interference the hon. member is suggesting is exactly the kind of interference he is condemning.

Scrapie

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Since January 1997, nearly 12,000 sheep have been slaughtered because of scrapie.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Bourassa has the floor.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are serious.

Since January 1997 in Quebec, nearly 12,000 sheep have been slaughtered because of scrapie. We are wondering about the way the food inspection agency handled the matter, and especially how they treated the producers.

What does the minister plan to do today to respond to the legitimate demands of producers and to this problem, which has gone on too long?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we all know that this is a difficult situation. As a result of the actions of everyone to date we are making considerable headway and achieving success in the eradication of this disease.

As I said a minute ago, the affected producers have already received over $2 million in compensation. I have asked for a review of the compensation levels. That is taking place.

Unfortunately the industry is not able to discuss that until October 16, but this Friday I will be meeting with industry representatives to discuss new and continuing measures in order to help eradicate this disease and to assist the affected producers.

Fisheries

[Gary Lunn, Reform, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week the minister of fisheries claimed success in negotiating with foreign nations to have observers on foreign fishing vessels while fishing off Canada's east coast. What he did not tell us was that once again he gave our stocks away, lucrative shrimp, to foreign nations by moving a boundary which is under moratorium.

What does the minister have to say to Canadian shrimp fishermen after giving their shrimp away to foreign nations while their boats are left at home tied up at the docks?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the hon. member back from Paris, but he has lost sight of the problem of shrimp fishermen.

We have dramatically increased the quota for east coast fishermen this year. In one of our major areas off the coast of Newfoundland it has in fact doubled this year. The shrimp species is in abundance and the east coast fishermen are enjoying that abundance at this time.

Chilean Refugees

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

While the Government of Quebec is examining the cases of Chilean refugees, the federal Minister of Immigration is sending them back to their country before Quebec has even finished its analysis.

Can the Minister show some compassion and humanity, and stay the deportations of the Chilean refugees until Quebec has finished looking at their files? Will she have a heart?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform the hon. member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve that we are working on this matter in close collaboration with the Government of Quebec. He may not be aware of this, but I have not received any request from the Government of Quebec to stay the deportations of Chileans.

I believe that Canada is honouring its humanitarian traditions. It has accepted applications from all these individuals. They were entitled to an independent hearing by two board members, who found that they were not refugees, and they had the possibility of appealing to the Federal Court.

Now they have reached the stage of having to exit the country if they wish to apply—

[The Speaker]

I am sorry but I must give the floor to the hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre

Pharmaceuticals

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

Mr. Speaker, the auditor general reported today that the board which sets the prices Canadians pay for patented prescription drugs relies essentially on information provided by the very drug companies that sell those drugs without checking the facts and without regard for the impact on consumers.

When will the government begin pricing drugs in the interests of Canadians instead of in the interests of international drug conglomerates?

Will the Minister of Health specifically take steps to ensure that drug pricing decisions are transparent and at least that information from the drug companies is checked for accuracy?