Debates of Oct. 18th, 1999

Agriculture

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

Mr. Speaker, we are being very careful that what we do as the federal government does not affect us tradewise. In doing that, we are also targeting as much possible help as we can to the producers. Federally we are treating the producers in every province that meet the criteria of the aid program exactly the same.

Employment Insurance

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the former Minister of Human Resources Development showed an absolute lack of sensitivity to the problems women are having with the employment insurance program.

This morning, a Canada Labour Congress study was released. It confirms what the Bloc has been saying for the past three years: employment insurance reform penalizes women, particularly low wage earners.

Is the new minister going to act promptly to correct the unacceptable situation deplored by the Canada Labour Congress?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is referring to a study by the Canadian Labour Congress which will not be published until next month so it is hard for me to comment on the statistics or data.

But there are data which we are all very proud of. The most recent labour market data say that Canada's unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in nine years at 7.5% and the unemployment rate for women is the lowest it has been in 20 years.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government's intentions relating to parental leave as they are set out in the throne speech put the proposed changes off until 2001.

How can the minister accept such a distant date, and why will she not act now to correct one of the major injustices toward women in the employment insurance reform?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to hear the Bloc supporting a very important initiative announced by the Prime Minister last week, which is that we will double parental benefits by 2001. That will give parents 12 months to spend at home with their children. It will be flexible. The family can decide whether it will be the mother or the father who stays at home. It will also include adoptive parents. This is a very significant undertaking on the part of this government. I am glad that the Bloc supports it.

Young Offenders

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, 861 days is how long we have been waiting for the justice minister to introduce new young offenders legislation, 861 days. There is another bill coming and another chance to get it right, but who knows how many we have to see. In the meantime over 30,000 violent crimes have left more than 30,000 victims in their wake. That is about 34 violent crimes a day.

Why will the justice minister not simply admit that the YOA is DOA and do something to fix it?

[John Maloney, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member should know, we have already introduced the criminal youth justice bill again. It is to be considered by the committee in the very near future and dealt with accordingly.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government is going to hold the record for trying to bring in legislation. It can keep bringing in bill after bill but the point is this has not been fixed.

The justice minister has had a choice. She has been in office for 861 days talking about this marvellous new solution. It is not happening. She can blame the official opposition or any scapegoat she chooses but the problem has not been fixed. Will she go down in history as the minister who actually brought young offenders to justice or in the name of prevention, allowed for thousands of new victims that should never have been there?

[John Maloney, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we have introduced the bill. The justice committee had extensive consultations on the youth justice system. It came in with a wonderful report called “Renewing Youth Justice”. As a result of that report, we have new legislation which will be dealt with expeditiously by the government. We are moving forward on this issue.

Hepatitis C

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

Mr. Speaker, at a press conference this morning, an important coalition comprised of the Fédération des infirmières et des infirmiers du Québec, the Quebec section of the Canadian Hemophilia Society and the young activist Joey Haché called upon the government to compensate Hepatitis C victims.

Since this is the government's constitutional responsibility, what is keeping it from showing the victims some compassion?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has already earmarked more than $1.3 billion for people infected by hepatitis C. The Government of Quebec has already accepted our proposal to share $300 million just for those infected outside the 1986-1990 period.

To me and to the government, this is a fair and appropriate approach.

Health

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. Last Friday the government tabled its response to the report of the Standing Committee on Health on organ and tissue donations in Canada. After media reports and comments made by the Reform Party health critic over the weekend, can the minister clarify whether the government has closed the door to the national registry of organ donations?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I read with some disappointment the comments by the Reform Party health critic.

What we announced last Friday is very important for a number of reasons. First of all, it was the first time that all governments of the country agreed to work together to make increasing the organ donation rate a national priority. Second, we formed a national council to help make that happen. The provinces very importantly have agreed to invest the kind of money needed to do what is really important which is to put teams in hospitals to counsel those who are the relatives of the dying to encourage the donation of organs. That is going to make a real difference.

Prisons

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask about a resort that has been brought to my attention called Frontenac Institution. Do not let the fact that this is a prison fool you. Here are some of the highlights in the brochure which I received. It has a golf course, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, baseball, picnic tables, barbeques, a pool room, a jogging track and fishing. Yes, even fishing.

Has the solicitor general completely dropped the principle that a prison should be about work ethics or even punishment or is he simply trying to compete with Florida?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, in our correctional system we have minimum, maximum and medium institutions. When a person is convicted, Correctional Services Canada evaluates the offender. If he is put in a maximum institution and there is some improvement, he goes to a medium institution. Before he is released to society he is put in a minimum security institution. This is done for public safety reasons.

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder whether they want to break out or break into this place. Hardworking Canadians have little time or money for leisure due to the excessive taxes of the government, yet prisoners at Frontenac Institution are off fishing and playing golf.

I ask the solicitor general why should law-abiding Canadians continue to serve time paying high taxes while inmates at Frontenac prison are sent on extended vacations fishing and golfing?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, this summer I visited a number of institutions across Canada. I know my hon. colleague does not want to mislead the public. I can assure everyone that being in a minimum penal institution in this country is not a resort.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I urge member to please listen to the responses to the questions which are posed. It makes question period much easier for all of us.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Mr. Speaker, quite simply what my hon. colleague has to realize is that most offenders come from the community and will go back to the community. What Correctional Service Canada does, with public safety being the number one issue, is to make sure that these people are ready to return to the community.

National Parks

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister responsible national parks, and I believe it is the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

I am sure that the minister will be concerned about reports today that the panel on ecological integrity in Canada's national parks appears about to report that the national parks are in serious trouble, that the ecological integrity principle that the parks are supposed to be managed on is not being applied consistently, and that scientific talent is thin in the parks. There are a number of very serious descriptions of the malaise in the national parks.

What new measures is the minister planning to take in order to deal with this obviously serious situation?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his question and, in particular, his interest in the results of the ecological integrity panel.

In fact, the government actually launched the ecological integrity panel review as a result of the findings of the Banff-Bow Valley report, which basically pointed out how parks are at risk ecologically when they spend too much time on commerce and not enough on scientific analysis.

When we receive the final results of the ecological integrity report, which we expect by the end of December, we want to work co-operatively with all the players to make sure that we put science first in Canadian parks.

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear the minister say that, but will she say unequivocally that when this panel report comes down and Canadians see clearly that it is not just Banff but many other parks that are at risk, that for the first time ecological integrity will become number one, with us no longer being enticed by the thrill of turning our national parks more and more into an opportunity for making money instead of enjoying what little is left of nature that has not been exploited by commercialism?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, when we struck the panel the reason I personally sought out the participation of Jacques Gérin was because he is the former deputy minister and is known and respected by people concerned with ecology around the world.

We believe that we need an ecological template for all of Canada's national parks. The Banff-Bow Valley study was a wake-up call, a wake-up call that we intend to apply by ensuring that ecological integrity is the number one clarion call for every park in Canada.

Immigration And Refugee Board

[David Price, Progressive Conservative, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this month Ms. Mawani, the chair of the Immigration and Refugee Board and a friend of the minister, completes her term.

This seven year appointment will outlast the mandate of this government and will have to oversee the implementation of a new immigration act. Will the minister commit today to involving the citizenship and immigration committee in the selection process of candidates instead of naming just another well-connected Liberal friend?