Debates of Feb. 11th, 1999

Foreign Affairs

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Can he tell us how it was that General Baril did not reply when I put the same question to him, and why the Canadian Armed Forces are able to arrange a trip from Ottawa to Amman in 12 hours by notifying opposition members at the last minute, but cannot manage to look after the Prime Minister, who had more than enough time to make it from Vancouver to Ottawa? Would he stop covering up the truth?

[The Speaker]

The hon. member is making borderline comments. I would ask him to be very careful in his choice of words.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I explained to everyone yesterday that I wanted to be there, that I had sent a team ahead to make arrangements for my arrival in Jordan, but that it was impossible for me to get there in time.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs went, along with members of the House, and he represented Canada very ably. He met the new King of Jordan, the brother of the former king and others, including the UN Secretary General. They all understood perfectly well why I was not there. Obviously, they are a little more understanding than the leader of the Bloc Quebecois.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the new king is not his brother, but his son.

The Prime Minister must think we are asleep at the switch.

If the Canadian Armed Forces made such a serious error—because the international press said that the Prime Minister had committed a gaffe—is the Prime Minister going to take disciplinary action against those responsible for such a gaffe, or was it he himself who committed the gaffe?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the Bloc Quebecois does not have enough to worry about.

It would be much appreciated by the governments of Jordan and other countries if the Bloc Quebecois were to concern itself with the real problems in that area of the world and the need to establish a regime that can maintain peace. It was for that purpose that the Minister of Foreign Affairs met with the new king, who is the son of King Hussein, and with the king's brother, who had been the acting leader of the country. But since the Bloc Quebecois has a very narrow focus, it was likely unaware that we met with both.

Homelessness

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, is the Prime Minister aware that there are 200,000 homeless Canadians, over 5,000 homeless children in Toronto alone? Does the Prime Minister ever take a moment to think about what it is for a child growing up to live without a home?

Will the Prime Minister agree to come with me and see for himself the human horror of homelessness or will he cross the street and just walk on by?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Saint-Maurice, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am aware of it and I have done something.

Yesterday the minister of public works gave a list of all the activities this government has moved on in the last few months. He was reporting to the House that he is talking to the provinces to have them collaborate. The NDP Government of British Columbia did not want to participate in the RRAP, a housing program for the poor.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is so concerned about homelessness that he pulled the plug on all new social housing in this country. So what if thousands of Canadians are homeless. Leave it to others to deal with the crisis. Leave it to others to find a way to put a roof over their heads.

It is not cardboard boxes that are needed. It is leadership from the Prime Minister. When will he face up to his responsibilities? When will he reassert a federal role in housing for Canadians who need it?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the government has put hundreds of millions of dollars into these programs over the years. We have done something. We are preoccupied with and working on that.

Rather than recognizing these things, she is refusing to see them. She should be pleading with the Premier of British Columbia to collaborate with our minister to improve the situation in Vancouver. However, as usual, by trying to score political points she has abandoned all the principles of the NDP. It is a shame that she voted against protecting—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Shefford.

Poverty

[Diane St-Jacques, Progressive Conservative, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, immediate government action is required on the issue of child poverty in Canada. We know that child poverty has grown constantly in the past ten years or so.

Will the Prime Minister pledge today, before this House, to improve his government's poor record with respect to child poverty by tabling a comprehensive action plan, with real targets and deadlines, providing for the indexing of the child tax benefit, among other things?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I addressed that point yesterday, indicating that it is a government priority.

Two years ago, we took the initiative, in co-operation with the provinces, to provide in child tax benefits. Over the past two years, $1.7 billion was provided. I think it was the largest single investment made by the federal government in any social program in three years, and it was for child poverty.

[Diane St-Jacques, Progressive Conservative, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in recent months, the government finally reaped the rewards of the efforts made by all Canadians to restore Canada's economic health.

However, the long period of restraint and sacrifices that led to this new era of economic prosperity has exacted a major human and financial toll on many Canadians, especially those living below the poverty line.

Can the Prime Minister give this House the assurance that he intends to redirect the surpluses accumulated through these sacrifices to the most disadvantaged members of our society?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this is precisely what we have done. I just gave the hon. member an answer.

I want to point out to her that the reason we were facing such a difficult situation in 1993 is that we had just taken over from the previous Conservative government. When we voted to provide a tax benefit for poor families with children, the Conservative Party voted against the budget.

Apec Inquiry

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for a week now the solicitor general has had a letter from the commissioner of the APEC inquiry asking for funding for the students' lawyers so that the process is fair. He has had a whole week. He has dozens of advisers and he has all sorts of lawyers. The question cannot be that difficult. What is the answer? Are they getting the funding, yes or no?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated previously in the House, I received a detailed letter. My officials and I are studying the letter and we will respond to the letter.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, how complicated can it be? Is the solicitor general having trouble with the big words or what? Get the health minister to go over and help him, whatever it takes. Give us an answer.

If he will not give us the answer today, will he at least tell us when, yes or no?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure my hon. colleague I am evaluating the letter and he will hear the answer.

Agriculture

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister of agriculture told me that Quebec farmers affected by the drop in agricultural produce prices would be “treated equitably, the same as any other farmer in Canada”.

Am I to understand from the minister's words that he plans to provide Quebec producers with the same assistance as to the rest of Canada, without taking into account the measures already available from the Government of Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, the discussions with the provinces as far as farm income disaster assistance will ensure that all farmers in Canada who trigger the criteria will be treated the same by the provinces and the federal government on a 60-40 split.

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

Mr. Speaker, we are speaking of a federal program paid for by the taxes of everyone in Canada, Quebec farmers included.

Can the minister explain to us why he insists on imposing a rigid program for all of Canada which penalizes Quebec farmers for the financial assistance already received from the Government of Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting that the very same member stands up and wants to know why there is not equity for farmers in Quebec with the farmers in the rest of Canada. Not only for farmers but for everything else, I will assure that there will be equity.

Health Care

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we saw another litany of health care problems on TV last night: preemies without neonatal intensive care beds; Quebeckers without emergency space; and people in B.C. sleeping in the linen closet because there are no beds.

Since the Liberals are wringing more taxes out of us, why is it that our health care system is in such a mess?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it is true the provinces are having real difficulties meeting their responsibilities and delivering services.

Just last week the Prime Minister led an effort to develop an agreement among governments in Canada to act on health as a priority and will soon be announcing measures in that regard.

The hon. member raises an issue which does not sit comfortably with the Reform philosophy. Reform just a few weeks ago said it would devote one half of the surplus toward debt reduction and the other half toward tax relief, apparently leaving nothing for health care.