Debates of Nov. 17th, 1999

Plutonium Imports

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

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I think the hon. member is confusing two quite different things.

She referred to the report of the Seaborn panel, which of course refers to the management of nuclear fuel waste over the long term, to which the government has responded and further action will be forthcoming reasonably shortly.

As for MOx fuel, that is fully covered under the provisions of the Atomic Energy Control Act and the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act. We have made absolutely certain that every provision of that legislation is in force and will be respected in order to protect public health and safety.

Kosovo

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Co-operation.

It has been months since Canada deployed troops in Kosovo to bring peace and security to that region. However, there is still much work to be done by the international community. Could the minister tell us what Canada is doing to help in that rebuilding effort?

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Minister for International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, Canada recently announced $100 million in new funding for rehabilitation of Kosovo and the Balkans. Of that money, $11.2 million is being used for health, education, shelter and associated demining programs.

Today a further $3.7 million is being announced by the government to be used in the areas of health, education and social services. One example is that $1 million will go to the United Nations for fuel for heating systems in Pristina which will provide about 40% of the city's heat, including hospitals and schools.

Canada Elections Act

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, an elections act should be politically neutral, supported by the public, the chief electoral officer and all the parties in this House. But the government House leader's new elections act is politically biased, opposed by the official opposition and criticized by the chief electoral officer as unfit for a third world country.

Why is the government not modernizing the elections act, making it more democratic, instead of persisting with a patronage ridden, gag law contaminated piece of yesterday's legislation?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I guess the hon. member was not paying attention to the answers yesterday, so let me try it again.

First, the Lortie commission in 1991 did not recommend changing from the present formula of appointing electoral officers in ridings. Second, this is the same formula utilized in six provinces in addition to the one used by the House of Commons at the present time. Third, the Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario has indicated that it would take an additional 19 bureaucrats in Ontario alone, probably 50 at the national level, to administer that which he—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for North Vancouver.

[Ted White, Reform, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister was not paying attention to the questions yesterday.

Bill C-2 slaps a gag law on voters, prevents the Chief Electoral Officer from testing new voting technologies, reinstates an illogical 50 candidate rule, perpetuates an offensive system of patronage appointments by the Prime Minister and cannot prevent cats and dogs from being registered as voters and candidates.

The bill fails every reasonable test for political neutrality and fairness. Why does the minister not just throw the bill away and start again from scratch?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across the way can make accusations where he likes in his usual partisan way, but for him to accuse all returning officers in Canada of putting cats and dogs on the voters list is an unjustified and unwarranted attack against hundreds of civil servants who are doing a great job for Canadians.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, last evening Premier Klein went on TV to tell Albertans that he will openly defy the principles of medicare by allowing the development of a private, for profit hospital system. He said he intends to allow public tax dollars to be siphoned off directly into the pockets of private health corporations.

Surely that was not the intention of the architects of medicare. Surely this is not Canadians' interpretation of the Canada Health Act.

I want to ask the health minister, does he believe that for profit private hospitals are consistent with the principles of the Canada Health Act?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the premier spoke last night and today we received a policy statement which we are looking at right now.

Let me make something crystal clear so that I can remove any doubt from the member's mind. We will protect the Canada Health Act. We will protect the Canadian system of medicare. We will protect its letter and we will protect its spirit. Neither this government nor this Minister of Health will ever permit the development of a private parallel system of health care in this country.

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

Mr. Speaker, whenever the minister answers a question on health care I am always tempted to ask, is that all there is? There is lots of talk but no action.

Canadians are depending upon the government to protect public health care. The health minister has options. If he is really serious about protecting health care he could and he should use the process set out by the social union agreement to challenge that kind of approach. He can do that now. Will he do it? Will he use the social union agreement to fight for public health care?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, fighting for public health care is my full time job. I do little else. I will continue to do that.

The proposals that came from Alberta arrived today. We are looking at them. We will examine them. Our perspective is very simple. We will not allow the development of a private parallel system of health care in this country, not in Alberta and not in any province. This government is committed to public medicare in Canada.

Csis

[André Bachand, Progressive Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the matter of the stolen documents, the solicitor general is, you know, rather like the stolen documents. He sits in a back seat. He does not move. He waits for someone to collect him and deliver him safely.

I would like to ask the solicitor general, sitting in a back seat and not attending to the matter, whether he will finally take some disciplinary action and suspend the agent and the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague should be aware that I have no role in internal disciplinary actions within CSIS.

I understand this is a very serious matter and it is being addressed by the appropriate bodies.

[André Bachand, Progressive Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the solicitor general says he looked after it and that he cannot intervene in internal matters. But he did not inform the PMO and he did not inform the president of the Privy Council so the matter would be known and the whole thing examined.

I would ask the solicitor general, if he is incapable of looking after the matter, why he does not make like the documents and disappear?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am fully aware that this is a very serious matter. The government is fully aware that this is a very serious matter. That is why the director of CSIS came to me and indicated that the inspector general was conducting an investigation and CSIS was conducting an investigation.

My hon. colleague is also well aware that SIRC has access to CSIS files and will be conducting a review. That is what is happening and that is what should be happening.

Trade

[Sarmite Bulte, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade.

Will the minister tell the House to what extent will the lesser developed countries be considered in the launch of the Seattle round of the World Trade Organization negotiations?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, trade does lead to development and that is what history is teaching us.

Canada and the world know that development will be at the heart of the next round of negotiations. We will work to fight the exclusion and promote development of those countries through trade.

With my colleague the Minister for International Co-operation, we will work at capacity building so that developing countries can indeed participate fully in a rules based international trade system. Canada will also promote at Seattle better coherence between the WTO and the other international organizations in favour of developing countries.

The Environment

[Rahim Jaffer, Reform, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago the member for Stoney Creek, who is also chair of the Liberal's economic development committee, publicly called on the government to remove Nick Mulder from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency's Red Hill Creek review panel. In a November 4 letter he wrote “It appears Mr. Mulder is simultaneously serving as a lobbyist to CEAA and performing contract services for the same agency”.

Why has the government not taken any action in response to serious allegations made by one of its own senior members?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is quite simple. Based on the information provided, there is no conflict of interest.

Economic Development

[Yvan Bernier, Bloc, Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-De-La-Madeleine—Pabok, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

The closure of the pulp and paper mill in Chandler and the cessation of mining activities at Mines Gaspé have hit the Gaspé particularly hard. The Government of Quebec is doing everything it can to ensure that a previously signed investment agreement is honoured, which would prevent the mill from having to be shut down definitively.

Is the minister prepared to come up with funding for the operation of the “Baie des Chaleurs” railway, as the Chandler municipal council is requesting, and thus provide transitional support while the Chandler mill is being converted?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I would point out to the member that, on November 10, the Secretary of State responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec visited the Gaspé and met with concerned citizens.

On that date, we undertook to provide concrete support, such as feasibility studies for potential projects, in order to help identify new job creation avenues.

Agriculture

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have a communique from a Saskatchewan resident for the agriculture minister. Saskatoon resident Dennis Gruending notes that agriculture was the number one issue in Monday's byelection in Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar.

Given the particularly dismal results of the Liberal candidate in that byelection, Dennis Gruending asks the minister of agriculture whether he will now change his government's disastrous policies and introduce a transitional payment and provide some real assistance for prairie farmers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would suggest to the hon. member that he demonstrate, and he can very easily, the changes that the government has already made and continues to make to the program. More changes have been made in response to the requests of the safety nets advisory committee and the industry earlier this month. If the province of Saskatchewan would match it as it has all the time, this would put over $100 million more into the support of those in Saskatchewan who need the help.

Csis

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, this is what we know. Highly classified CSIS documents were stolen at a Leaf's hockey game. We also know that the CSIS employee responsible has not been disciplined and is still being paid by the Canadian taxpayer. CSIS director Ward Alcock, who unilaterally chose not to advise SIRC, is still being paid by the Canadian taxpayer. In addition, Alcock chose to run and leave the country the day the story broke.

Will the minister finally demonstrate that incompetence will not be tolerated at CSIS and that the next papers the CSIS employee and Alcock take out of the CSIS offices will be their termination papers?