Debates of Feb. 12th, 1999

Social Housing

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation did not wait for the member's request to invest the savings it made through good management.

In January 1998, as I mentioned earlier, $250 million was invested in the RRAP program, from which Quebec is benefiting fully. Moreover, I announced a further $50 million in December.

I would also like to inform the House that we are working with various levels of government and the private sector to build affordable housing; 2,800 affordable units were built in 1998 and—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Sackville—Eastern Shore.

Public Service

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, one truth is definitely out there. Regional rates of pay policy by this government is economic discrimination among the lowest paid of the public service workers. Today marks the end of the fourth week of rotating strikes by the table two employees and Treasury Board has refused to meet with them since mid-December. Next week the strike will escalate clear across the country.

My question for the minister is why are you refusing to meet and why do you not end the regional rates of pay at this time?

[The Speaker]

I know you forget once in a while my colleague, but always address your questions to the Speaker. I will permit him to answer the question.

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, regional rates of pay are there for a good reason. The good reason is that we respect not only provincial regulations about trades such as plumbers and electricians, but because if we offer more or less than the local market conditions in for instance Fredericton, we will create problems of recruitment, or we will simply not be able to get the tradesmen.

These regional rates of pay are fair. They respect provincial regulations. They have been there for a long time. They are what should be the rule and we will keep them.

Fisheries

[Charlie Power, Progressive Conservative, St. John's West, NL]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

In the ever evolving Newfoundland fisheries, fishermen are being hampered by out of date regulations. In particular now that individual quotas are in place, there is no need for length restrictions on vessels so as to limit the harvesting.

Three fishermen from Petty Harbour, Messrs. Howlett, Chafe and Madden, are being forced to cut four feet off a recently purchased vessel. Conforming to the old regulations will cost them an additional $10,000, as well as force them to fish in a less safe boat.

For the safety of these and other fishermen, will the minister authorize temporary vessel registrations for 1999?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, there have been vessel limitations in place in the Atlantic region and in Newfoundland for many years as a method of reducing the capacity of the fleet. We have fleet capacity in addition to buy out of licences.

The member has actually asked a very perceptive question in that there are safety concerns involved in this as well. We revised the rules back in 1997, 18 months ago. We attempted to take into account safety and comfort considerations of fishermen and the constant pressure to increase the size of vessels, thus the size and capacity of the fleet.

Aboriginal Affairs

[John Maloney, Liberal, Erie—Lincoln, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

The issue of housing and homelessness has been a very important topic of discussion, especially this week. Our aboriginal peoples are in dire need of adequate, affordable and safe housing. Why is this ministry not doing more for aboriginal Canadians?

[David Iftody, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member on this side of the House for that question. I only regret it did not come from the Reform Party, the official opposition, to ask that kind of a question about the plight of aboriginal people in Canada.

I can tell the hon. member, as I said earlier in my first response, we are working closely with the communities to ensure that they are looked after. It goes beyond the question of providing housing for aboriginal people. We need to settle land claims with the aboriginal people of Canada to give them an opportunity to participate fully in Canada and enter the 21st century.

Justice

[Jake Hoeppner, Reform, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last fall I asked the justice minister why she was prosecuting defenceless poor farmers for exporting their own grain while wealthy ones were being ignored. Her answer was that the prosecutions taking place were on the basis of due process of law. Four months later, why is the government still prosecuting these same poor, defenceless farmers while for three years it has refused to prosecute a wealthy farmer who can afford to defend himself and challenge the government?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has an obligation obviously to uphold the law, not in a selective manner but broadly and even handedly across the board. That is in fact what we do.

In terms of individual prosecutions, of course the hon. gentleman will also know the appropriate role of the provincial departments of justice. The hon. gentleman refers to specific cases where he thinks there is some discrepancy in the administration of justice. Obviously all of those cases are looked at very closely to ensure that justice is even handed.

Francophones Outside Quebec

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, three official reports from three different sources have referred to the federal government's inability to honour its commitments to francophone communities.

One of these, the Savoie report, proposed the creation over five years of a $60 million fund for francophones outside Quebec.

My question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Would it not be time, in order to better co-ordinate programs providing support for francophone minorities threatened by assimilation, to create a secretariat with the means and the autonomy to meet these commitments?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, the Savoie report is an important report, and we are currently studying it.

However, I would like to reconfirm at this point the government's firm commitment to the official languages and its intention to honour it.

Veterans Affairs

[Gordon Earle, NDP, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, 26 Canadian prisoners of war held by the Nazis in the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp have been insulted by the Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Government of Canada.

After years of presenting their case for compensation to deaf ears in Ottawa, these veterans were presented cheques of barely over $1,000 each. This compensation is nothing short of a disgrace. My constituent, Bill Gibson, wrote “refused” across the cheque and sent it back.

Will the minister do the right thing by offering our veterans a just and honourable settlement?

[Fred Mifflin, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)]

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised at the hon. member's statement because after the announcement was made on December 11 I called some of the proponents who said they were delighted. They said it was not the money, that it was the principle of the thing.

Notwithstanding that, a few weeks ago when he was in Germany the Prime Minister, as a result of the initiative taken by this government to provide compensation to the Buchenwald veterans, discussed this with the Chancellor of Germany. Mr. Schroeder said that he would be looking into the issue to see what follow-up action could be taken.

Fisheries And Oceans

[Charlie Power, Progressive Conservative, St. John's West, NL]

Mr. Speaker, my question is again for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

As I mentioned earlier, many of the regulations of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans need to be changed because the Newfoundland fishery has changed.

Will the minister appoint an independent commissioner to review the present regulations with the intention of replacing or removing all unnecessary regulations so the fishermen will not have to spend half their time in the fisheries offices? Further, will the minister approve temporary vessel registrations until this study is completed?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my earlier response to the hon. member's question, this study was undertaken and the results were reported in 1997, some 18 months ago.

We did look into the issue of vessel size. It is a complex problem. On the one hand there are safety considerations with respect to larger vessels being safer vessels, which is a brief way of putting it, but at the same time larger vessels mean that fishermen will stay out longer in the face of adverse weather and they will go farther. So the safety issue tends to equalize.

On the other hand we have the major problem of increasing capacity in the fleet, which this government is spending some $250 million in the Atlantic region to reduce. It is a complex issue.

Again, I appreciate the hon. member's question, but we have done the study which he has requested.

Government Response To Petitions

[Gar Knutson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to six petitions.

Committees Of The House

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 57th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership and associate membership of the Standing Committee on Health.

If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the report later this day.

[Gurmant Grewal, Reform, Surrey Central, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 123(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations concerning sections G.06.001(1) and J.01.033(1) of the food and drug regulations. The text of these sections is contained in this report.

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 57th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to)

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move:

That the membership of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be modified as follows: Roy Bailey for Gurmant Grewal; and that Gurmant Grewal be added to the list of associate members.

(Motion agreed to)

Questions On The Order Paper

[Gar Knutson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.