House of Commons Hansard #179 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was children.
Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, I value my job too much to leak anything that would be in the budget.
From day one tax cuts have been important to us. We started out with targeted tax cuts to those who are most in need, to those who are disabled, to charities in the voluntary sector, to poor families. In the last budget we doubled the amount of the child tax benefit and provided $1.7 billion to the poorest families in Canada. We took 400,000 of the—
Bryon Wilfert Liberal Oak Ridges, ON
Mr. Speaker, this is Y2K week, with 10 months to go before the year 2000. Can the Secretary of State for Western Economic Diversification tell us what the government is doing to assist small and medium size businesses to prepare?
Ronald J. Duhamel LiberalSecretary of State (Science
Mr. Speaker, western economic diversification through 100 points of service in the whole of western Canada is focused on this problem. We have people working on it on a daily basis.
We are finding and identifying the most relevant information. We are sharing that information widely, both directly and through small and medium size businesses. We are also providing guidance to those who need assistance in making sure they are Y2K compliant.
There have been a number of seminars and conferences. Today in British Columbia there is a forum on this very issue, where there are very credible resource persons available to assist.
John Williams Reform St. Albert, AB
Mr. Speaker, speaking about Y2K, when it comes to government preparedness for the Y2K problem Health Canada is dead last.
That is the information the chief information officer told the public accounts committee the other day. Not only are they dead last, but when it comes to individual hospitals the department does not have a clue where they are. It has not measured them in any way, shape or form.
My question is for the Minister of Health. If the government claims that health is the top priority that it says it is, why does he have no idea of what the level of hospital service will be on January 1, 2000?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the member is dead wrong.
Health Canada has for some months been engaged in a systematic and methodical program to make sure that medical devices are ready for the year 2000. I can tell the House that in the highest risk devices category, 96% of manufacturers have responded to request for compliance information. None of the highest risk devices to date have been reported as non-compliant.
The names of those who have not responded have been published on the website. Attention has been drawn to that fact. We continue and we will redouble our efforts to make sure we are ready for the year 2000.
Ghislain Lebel Bloc Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, this morning, we learned that there had been a suspicious parcel scare at the Canada Post sorting station in Ottawa during the night.
Having been notified by postal officials, RCMP officers searched the premises extensively without evacuating the premises.
My question is for the minister responsible for Canada Post. Does the minister feel it is right to risk the lives of employees for the sake of productivity?
Alfonso Gagliano LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I have no knowledge of the incident the hon. member just referred to. I will inquire and report back.
Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
The Manitoba Dene have hunted caribou north of the 60th parallel for over 2,000 years. They have at least 25 burial sites north of 60.
Is it the Liberal government's position that the Manitoba Dene have treaty and aboriginal rights north of the 60th parallel, rights protected under section 35 of the Constitution Act, yes or no?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, it is clear in the Nunavut Act that there is nothing which will abrogate or derogate from the treaty rights that may exist for first nations in Manitoba.
I have had the opportunity to meet with Chief Bussidor of the Sahtu Dene to talk about her concerns. I have offered the services of a mediator to help her and her people negotiate with the Inuit on these issues.
Bill Matthews Progressive Conservative Burin—St. George's, NL
Mr. Speaker, government policies are forcing more children in all regions of our country into poverty levels.
Poverty levels in every area of the country have increased significantly. Canadians in economically depressed areas of this country want to work.
I ask the Prime Minister, when is his government going to take action to stimulate employment and economic activity in depressed areas of the country and address this very serious problem of rising poverty levels throughout this great country of Canada?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I draw to the attention of the hon. member a few numbers concerning job creation.
Unemployment is now down to 7.8%. We saw the creation of 450,000 jobs last year. Another 87,000 jobs were created in January alone and half of those jobs were for young Canadians, who have a harder time integrating the labour market.
The Canada jobs fund has been renewed on a permanent basis. We are investing money, particularly in those regions where unemployment levels remain stubbornly high, to create job opportunities.
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Mr. Speaker, today the government introduced legislation that will allow foreign banks to open commercially focused branches in Canada.
Can the Secretary of State for International Financial Institutions please tell the House what this means for the financial services sector in Canada, and particularly what it means for consumers?
Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, we have introduced that legislation today. It will mean that foreign banks can come into Canada using the capital which they have on a global basis to support their lending activities here in Canada.
This legislation brings Canada into line with the accepted practice throughout the western world. It has been encouraged by all of our financial institutions, as well as the MacKay task force, the finance committee of the House of Commons and of the other place.
We look forward to the co-operation and support of all members.
Mike Scott Reform Skeena, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue. Yesterday I revealed to the minister that wealthy American corporate and family trusts like Hewlett-Packard, Ted Turner and the Rockefeller Foundation are funnelling millions of dollars into Canadian environmental organizations with charitable tax status in a paid campaign to kill jobs and investment in Canada. These are not charities. These are economic terrorists.
I ask the minister again, when is he going to end this sham and revoke this charitable tax status to these economic terrorists?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to take any information the member has on any charity groups that are not abiding by charity law.
One thing is quite clear to the House. The Reform Party has no agenda on the environment. It has no interest in the environment, and environmental groups across Canada, including British Columbia, will take note that Reform does not care about the environment. No wonder it is dropping in the polls every single month.
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC
Mr. Speaker, all of Canada's major centres must deal with the serious problem of homelessness. In Quebec, nearly 29,000 people are affected.
Will the minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation make a commitment today to make available to the provinces the necessary funding to establish social housing programs for the homeless?
Alfonso Gagliano LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that we are working in co-operation with the provinces.
Take for example the RRAP program in Quebec, where the member comes from and which takes full advantage of the program. More than 30% of the RRAP budget is spent in Quebec, and other provinces benefit as well.
We are working on convincing those provinces that do not participate in the program to change their minds, so that all Canadians can benefit from this federal program.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, over 12,000 employees of the federal public service are being discriminated against by the policy of regional rates of pay.
I will give the President of the Treasury Board the opportunity to speak directly to the lowest paid PSAC members and explain to them why the Liberals betrayed the workers with broken promises. When will the government get back to the bargaining table?
Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, we are trying to solve the problem of rotating strikes for the blue collar workers as quickly as possible.
We have been offering rates of increase in pay that are exactly the same as those which have already been accepted by 80% of the public service.
In terms of regional rates of pay, it is normal and correct that we would reflect not only local and provincial regulations, but also the state of local markets. In markets which have higher costs we would pay more, as stated, by the way, in provincial regulations.
Bill Matthews Progressive Conservative Burin—St. George's, NL
Mr. Speaker, first in Atlantic Canada we had the government's inflexibility on the post-TAGS program. Last summer communities in British Columbia were devastated by an inadequate salmon fishing plan.
Recently we had the Devco closure announcement. All of these decisions are downgrading the communities and their viability in rural Canada.
I ask the Prime Minister, when will his government implement a comprehensive regional economic development program, a plan for Canadians in economically depressed areas to create employment?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, within the tax program, yes indeed there was enough flexibility following the major crisis which occurred in eastern Canada.
I can tell members that we have also worked very hard at human resources to help British Columbia fishermen with the appropriate tools to try to get to a better labour market and create economic diversification in the region in some of the communities where it is most difficult to do so. We have been looking after the situation in British Columbia as well as we have in Atlantic Canada.
Randy White Reform Langley—Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the government House leader if he has some business for the rest of this week and what the nature of the business is for next week, including whether there will be some legislation introduced in the House on child pornography.
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to respond to the Thursday business question by the opposition leader.
The business that the government will put before the House between now and the end of next week is as follows: tomorrow, we will deal with second reading of Bill C-61, the veterans bill. It is not my intention to call other bills tomorrow.
On Monday, we shall complete second reading debate of Bill C-65, the federal-provincial fiscal arrangements legislation.
On Tuesday, we will debate the citizenship bill, C-63. If there is time, we will examine Bill C-49.
At 4.15 p.m., the Minister of Finance will deliver the budget statement. The budget debate will commence on Wednesday, February 17, with the first vote at 5.15 p.m. on Thursday, February 18.
I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that, on Friday, February 19, we will be debating Bill C-64, the bill respecting exhibitions.
With regard to the question as to when we will introduce any legislation in the House of Commons, all government legislation is introduced in the House of Commons following approval of cabinet. That is the normal way.
Nelson Riis NDP Kamloops, BC
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I have a question for the government House leader. The government has indicated an interest now in announcing a moratorium on bulk water exports. I wonder if he could tell us what day next week that will take place?