House of Commons Hansard #3 of the 36th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was children.
Michelle Dockrill NDP Bras D'Or, NS
Mr. Speaker, the throne speech passed over Canadian children rather quickly by neglecting to mention any concrete plans for national child care.
Canadian children need good quality care, not just in the first year of life but in all of their pre-school years. Canadian families need good quality, affordable child care now. Canadian children cannot wait.
Will the minister commit today to a national child care program that her government promised six years ago?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we made a proposition on child care to the provinces and they said no. We respect the jurisdiction of the provinces. It was part of our program. We wanted to do that, but all the provinces, including the NDP governments of British Columbia and Saskatchewan, refused to have a joint program on day care.
We found another way to help families and we were successful.
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is trying to get off the hook. The fact is that when it comes to kids the government is full of bafflegab. Let us try to get a clear answer.
Does the Prime Minister understand that a so-called children's agenda is worthless unless it includes child care? Will the minister and the Prime Minister remember that children have to be included in a children's agenda? When are we going to see the national child care program? Exactly where are the 150,000 spaces that were promised?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I just explained that the NDP governments of the land rejected the offer we made to them. With the refusal of the so-called left governments, which are to the right of the Liberal Party, we found other ways, through tax exemptions and other tax incentives, to help families because we were more preoccupied about child care than the NDP governments.
Greg Thompson Progressive Conservative Charlotte, NB
Mr. Speaker, here is the minister's record up to now in the east coast lobster crisis: no moratorium, homes burned, businesses destroyed, neighbour fighting neighbour, and 200 years of harmony between natives and non-natives jeopardized. The fear and uncertainty in this free-for-all continues.
Can we expect more of the same from this minister: no leadership, no plan and no hope of a successful resolution?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, I am sure that hon. members recognize the difficult situation. That is why we have to be careful not to inflame the situation.
We have set forward a short term plan as well as a long term plan. I think what we have to do now is work toward ensuring that the aboriginal community can exercise that treaty right toward a long term plan. That is exactly what we are doing. I am encouraged by all of the co-operation that is happening at the community level. At the community level people are talking. Union members, native and non-native fishers are getting together.
Greg Thompson Progressive Conservative Charlotte, NB
Mr. Speaker, I just cited the minister's record on the short term plan. It is a disaster.
We have eighth generation fishermen whose livelihood is threatened. There is a crisis in the community and the minister talks about a plan that does not exist. If the minister does have a plan, can he show us what that plan is? The only plan the minister has now is a plan for continued chaos. Will the minister act, and act quickly?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, yes, we are already acting. We are talking to all the parties. I have talked today to the fishermen's union. I talked to the chiefs. We are working on it right now. My colleagues and I are working as a government to make sure that we have a dialogue, we have co-operation and we bring people together. The real solutions are at the community base, where people start talking to people, coming up with real solutions for the long term. That is exactly what we are doing.
John O'Reilly Liberal Victoria—Haliburton, ON
Mr. Speaker, in light of the recent announcement by the Prime Minister that parental leave will be extended from six months to one full year, can the Minister of Human Resources Development tell this House what effect this decision will have on working Canadians?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, today the daily Le Devoir writes “After some difficult years, Ottawa wants to take advantage of its sound fiscal position to improve parental leave. Bravo”.
Mr. Speaker, we deliver.
Deepak Obhrai Reform Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, the government has known for over one year that the WTO would rule against the auto pact. Yet, the government has done nothing to assure Canada's auto workers that their jobs would not be threatened as a result of this new ruling.
Why has the minister's department not put in place a strategy to assure Canada's auto workers that their jobs are safe, knowing the likely result of this ruling?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the member of my full confidence in the automobile industry of this country. It is a strong and very healthy industry.
Yesterday we received a confidential interim report, which could be seen in the Globe and Mail this morning as well as a number of others papers. It is a 400 page report. We are looking into it. We are analyzing it. We will continue to have very close consultations with the stakeholders and with the provinces as well. The Government of Canada will make its comments to the panel in due course. We will wait for the final decision of the panel, this one being only an interim one.
Claude Bachand Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is not true that things are fine in the aftermath of the Marshall decision. Nothing is fine anymore.
Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced that 33 out of 35 band councils had agreed to the moratorium. Today, the number is zero. We are in troubled waters and the one voice we do not hear is that of the new Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs. I give him an opportunity to explain.
Since his government and the supreme court have confirmed the right of native peoples to a regulated fishery, why is the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs not negotiating his own moratorium with them and offering them compensation?
Bob Nault LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, on Monday we will be having a meeting with all the partners. The partners, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and I are working on a long term plan and I hope to announce it next week.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, I should remind the government that there is no lobster fishery going on in the Rideau Canal. This is day 27 after the Marshall decision and there is still no leadership from this government.
The Prime Minister himself said the parties have to get together. Instead of hiding behind government bureaucrats in Ottawa, why are the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans not down in the maritime region right now dealing with the stakeholders? Why are they not committing the necessary resources to meet the negotiations before something comes up that we cannot handle?
Will the minister commit today to go down to the maritime region?
Bob Nault LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, I am here answering his question. The answer to it is they will be coming here on Monday. We will be talking about how to deal with the Marshall case. Then we will be announcing the long term process to all the House.
Angela Vautour NDP Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB
Mr. Speaker, the rejection of the 30 day moratorium on fishing in the Atlantic region shows clearly that the minister is continuing to ignore the seriousness of the situation. This government has shown the people most directly concerned that it has absolutely no leadership.
Through its clumsy handling of the situation, the government has struck fear into the hearts of fishers in towns and villages throughout Atlantic Canada.
What has the government done and what does it intend to do to restore a feeling of security and peace of mind to people in native and non-native communities?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, it is obvious the member was not listening to the answer just given a few minutes ago.
We are working on a long term plan. We are meeting with the aboriginal community. I think the hon. member will be able to check that what we said earlier answers the question pretty clearly.
Presence In GalleryOral Question Period
The Speaker
I would like to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Govind Raj Joshi, Minister for Water Resources of the Kingdom of Nepal.
Randy White Reform Langley—Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is great that I get a question. At least once a week I am assured of this.
I would like to ask the government House leader, who has all of this wisdom about what is coming up in the House of Commons, what the nature of the legislation is for the remainder of this week and next week. I would also like to know whether or not the government is going to stop the legislation coming forth on the Nisga'a agreement because as you know, Mr. Speaker, we are prepared to fight, fight, fight on that issue.
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I am equally pleased to answer the question because it is once a week when I get to answer a question.
Today, tomorrow and Monday we will continue with the address debate. There will be votes at the end of the day today, as well as at the end of the day on Monday on the main amendment to the throne speech.
On Tuesday morning we will have the debate on my motion to refer Bill C-2, the elections legislation, to committee before second reading. This debate may last up to three hours. Once it is completed, we will consider the electronic commerce bill that will be reintroduced tomorrow. In the last session that bill was Bill C-54. It is being reintroduced in the same form as it stood at prorogation. In order to assist members and hopefully to expedite passage I have asked that a special early print of the bill be made available to all hon. members as soon as it is reintroduced tomorrow. I expect the debate on this bill will carry us through the rest of the day on Tuesday and possibly as late as next Wednesday.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the government House leader with respect to government business and the legislative agenda.
The government House leader will recall that the government made a commitment in the last session of parliament to bring in legislation with respect to a national ban on the bulk export of water. There was no mention of this in the throne speech but it had at one time or another been indicated that it might be part of the legislative calendar. I wonder if the government House leader can tell us, will there be such legislation and when will it be forthcoming?
Business Of The HouseOral Question Period
The Speaker
I am going to permit the question today but usually the Thursday question sets up our business for the week. If there has to be other information, perhaps we can get it in another manner, but I will permit the government House leader to respond if he wants to.
Don Boudria Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Mr. Speaker, as far as I know it is still the plan of the government to introduce such legislation in the fall sitting of this parliament. As to an exact date, there are ongoing consultations between House leaders. I will inform my colleagues as soon as possible. At the present time it is still part of the fall legislative agenda.