Debates of Oct. 29th, 1999

Airline Industry

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, one of the very troubling statements in Onex confidential memorandums is a reference to a meeting with the Prime Minister's chief of staff, Jean Pelletier. It goes on to say because “he could advise us of the best time to approach both the Minister of Transport and the Prime Minister's Office”.

I want to know, did the Prime Minister's chief of staff become involved in any way, shape, or form in any discussions, or did he advise anybody at Onex or Canadian Airlines on how to proceed through the Minister of Transport?

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the member that department officials were informed of the original Onex offer the night before it was made public. That is a common practice and courtesy.

The hon. member should know that Air Canada also informed the department officials of its original offer well in advance, in fact, six weeks in advance of making it public.

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, let me read another line. “Another key player is the Clerk of the Privy Council, Mel Cappe. Mel Cappe will make the final changes at the deputy minister level and knowing our plans may influence his choices”.

I want to know, did the Clerk of the Privy Council become involved in any way? Did he advise Onex or Canadian Airlines? Did he discuss anything and if so, when?

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that the framework was presented by the minister this week. The framework ensured the government bill, preserved Canadian ownership and control of our airlines, fostered domestic competition, ensured there is no price gouging, preserved services to small communities and protected the rights and concerns for employees.

This is all within the realm of the responsibilities of members of parliament and government officials. It is within the framework of government policies that have already been established.

Agriculture

[Gerry Ritz, Reform, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a terrible habit of ignoring the tough problems thinking they will just go away, that they will disappear. The only things disappearing are farm families.

Yesterday the Prime Minister dealt the farmers another blow. He told the premiers “Do not worry. It is not as bad as you think. We have got brand new numbers, but you cannot see them because the ink is still wet”.

That is very small comfort, or no comfort at all to the thousands of farmers who are facing the nightmare of losing their homes and their livelihood. There are going to be 16,000 to 17,000 farm families out on the streets.

What gives the Prime Minister the audacious right to think he can judge this crisis when he has not even been there and seen it for himself? How arrogant.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been applying all of its time and attention to work on what is a very serious problem for many farmers in western Canada.

That is why we have extended and improved the crop insurance program. We have done the same with NISA. In terms of extra incremental assistance, we were the first to come to the plate with $900 million in additional money.

Farmers say that they are having problems with that program. We are taking that criticism seriously. We are looking at every conceivable way in which it can be improved and made more beneficial.

[Allan Kerpan, Reform, Blackstrap, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said he will place a high priority on children. Every day that the government does nothing to fix that farm disaster, farm families, including children, are suffering untold hopelessness and hardship.

If the Prime Minister really believes in helping Canadian youth, then why is he turning his back on farm children?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada turns its back on no children.

The message about the importance of Canadian children is very clear, both in the throne speech and long before that in the policies and actions of this government.

It is our hope that the existing programming plus the incremental programs that we have put in place in the last year and the additional consideration that we are giving at the present time will be helpful to all Canadians in addressing these issues, particularly farm children in western Canada.

Air Transportation

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Onex/Air Canada business is an amazing saga orchestrated by the Minister of Transport.

He has in fact permitted Onex to remodel air transportation and is allowing a handful of shareholders to determine the future of the industry as a whole.

Will the Deputy Prime Minister acknowledge that he has abandoned the fate of the airline industry to a handful of speculators who do not have a mandate to determine the future of air transportation?

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to clearly point out that the minister did not interfere with the process. He had no part to play within it. The proposals that were presented by both parties will be seriously considered by all the agencies in this government as well as by the government and the transport committee.

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when a law is being amended in the midst of things, it cannot be said that no one has intervened in the process, no one would believe it.

The problems of air transportation cannot be resolved simply by a takeover.

How can the government justify in the face of public interest such a lack of vision and leadership in an area as sensitive for both the public and the economy as air transportation?

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has been providing excellent leadership throughout this entire experience.

Apec Inquiry

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the meal expense allowance for senior APEC commission counsel Marvin Storrow must be fairly generous because he attended last week's $400 a plate Liberal fundraising dinner in Vancouver. He even had to walk past APEC protesters to get there. We want to let the commission do its work, but why does it have to be done at Liberal fundraising dinners?

[The Speaker]

This question is out of order. The hon. member for Dewdney—Alouette.

[Grant McNally, Reform, Dewdney—Alouette, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is being pressured to testify before the APEC commission. One of the key people who will determine whether or not he should testify was at a fundraising dinner for the Prime Minister. In spite of this fact he is supposed to remain at arm's length, and it does not look good. Why does the government define arm's length as being close enough to pass the pepper?

[The Speaker]

I am going to permit the question. I find the question is in order but the preambles are getting us a little bit closer my colleagues.

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the lawyer in question was retained by the commission which is at arm's length from the government. This is a matter for the commission. As I have said before and I will say again, let the commission do its work. The commission is well equipped through its distinguished commissioner to deal with matters of this kind.

Genetically Modified Foods

[Hélène Alarie, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Tuesday in the House, the Minister of Health said that genetically modified foods were all thoroughly examined by a team of experts.

How can the minister say such a thing when his deputy minister, David A. Dodge, said exactly the opposite before a Senate committee and when two employees of his department and the Canadian food inspection agency said on Le Point that such tests are not performed?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, all genetically modified products are examined by Health Canada, and the Minister of Agriculture does the necessary consulting on labelling.

We learned from the paper this morning, however, that the Conservative Party is trying to genetically modify the Bloc.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

It would appear that the Conservatives, if it is true, are incapable of learning from their mistakes, and I hope this information is wrong.

[Hélène Alarie, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of Health intend to respond to the concerns expressed by his deputy minister and give his officials the appropriate resources to enable them to do their work?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada certainly has the means to do the studies in question, but I will keep this question for my colleague.

Agriculture

[Deepak Obhrai, Reform, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, WTO negotiations begin next month and the government has no final position on the table. In the meantime our farmers are left to wonder if the government will have their best interests at heart when at the negotiating table.

A recent study by the George Morris Centre indicated that Canadian farmers will benefit greatly if this WTO round eliminates all tariff and non-tariff barriers to international trade.

Will the government make the elimination of trade distorting agricultural policy the number one priority in Seattle?

[Bob Speller, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade Lib.]

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member is new to his position as trade critic, but had he been following the subject over the last couple of years, he would know that the standing committee of the House went across the country and consulted with Canadians. The Minister for International Trade consulted with the provinces. They came together with a very strong position for Seattle.

I would invite the hon. member, as he is referring to the area of agriculture, to talk to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and to the different agricultural groups. They strongly support the position of the Government of Canada.