Debates of Feb. 16th, 1999

Employment Insurance

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, quite the opposite. By implementing a program based on hours, we have in fact liberated women who were prisoners of the 15-hour trap because they only worked part time and could not accumulate 15 hours.

We also provided a family income supplement specifically for the greater benefit of low-income women, which is now a part of our employment insurance reform.

Apec Inquiry

[John Reynolds, Reform, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has finally agreed that the RCMP Public Complaints Commission is an independent body by agreeing to fund all participants in that hearing.

Mr. Hughes has also proven his independence by asking and demanding that these people get their funding.

Will the government now guarantee that whomever Mr. Hughes asks to appear before that inquiry will appear at that inquiry from the government, including the Prime Minister?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated a number of times, the public complaints commission is an independent body. I wish my hon. colleagues would let the public complaints commission do what it is in place to do.

[John Reynolds, Reform, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we have been asking this government to let the public complaints commission do what it wants to do for the last six months.

It has finally agreed to fund everyone in that hearing. It is the government that has to listen to this independent inquiry.

Will the government just give us an answer, yes or no? Will it agree that whomever Mr. Hughes requests to appear will appear at that hearing, including the Prime Minister?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated many times in this House, the commission is an independent body that has a job to do. All I would ask my hon. colleague to do is, please, let the public complaints commission do the job it is in place to do.

Federal Employees' Pension Fund

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, not content to pocket the huge surpluses in the EI fund, the federal government now wants to get its hands on its employees' pension funds.

Can the President of the Treasury Board tell us why he is now preparing to raid his own employees' pension plans, after dipping into the pockets of unemployed workers?

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

Mr. Speaker, the pension fund is a legislated fund. It is important that my hon. colleague understand this.

The government guarantees that public servants will receive their pension whatever the state of the economy.

When pensions were indexed, it cost the government close to an extra $10 billion, a bill it footed alone. The government did this because what it guarantees are pensions and it is therefore clear—and once again, this is borne out by lawyers, actuaries, the auditor general, and every other authority—that the surplus in the fund belongs to the government.

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, will the President of the Treasury Board not agree that the employer's contributions to the pension fund are part of employees' overall remuneration and therefore do not belong to him?

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I think it is very clear. It is a legislated fund, with the government guaranteeing to pay pensions.

Employees pay a set proportion. It was 7.5%. The government paid any deficits that arose and any additional amounts in the fund therefore belong to taxpayers.

National Defence

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, since the Liberal government has come into power it has cut over $7 billion from the defence budget. We see the results. Today all the Sea Kings were grounded again and are unable to fly. The minister has known about this for some time.

My question is for the defence minister. Time has run out. When are you going to replace the aging Sea King helicopters?

[The Speaker]

Order, please. Please address the questions always through the Chair.

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, this is coming from a party that in the election campaign wanted to cut another $1 billion from defence.

What the government has done is invested in new search and rescue helicopters. It has invested in new submarines and life extension programs for the CF-18s. It has bought new armoured personnel carries. This is to make sure that our troops have the tools they need to do the job.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if the minister were to look at Reform's proposal we wanted to include $1 billion in the defence budget and they have cut it.

Our pilots are taking undue risks flying old equipment. They only do it out a sense of duty to the country, which is more than what I can say for the minister of defence.

When will our pilots, their crews and their families get new helicopters?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has been told many times that we are developing a procurement strategy with respect to the replacement of the Sea King helicopters. We are in the final stages of doing that.

The government is very anxious to make sure that our troops have the tools they need to do the job and that they are able to have safe equipment to operate.

Immigration

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have lost count of the number of cases of harrassment of visitors from France and we know the propensity of some customs officials to treat those passing through customs arrogantly.

My question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Beyond the figures showing that, in statistical terms, everything appears normal, is the minister not concerned about the ever increasing number of cases of harrassment and the misuse of the discretionary powers of her officials?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, there are no cases of harrassment. Immigration officers at both Dorval and Mirabel comply with the Immigration Act, and everyone arriving in this country must have permission to enter it. This is why the officers conduct their checks, which are perfectly normal under the circumstances.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

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

Poor social conditions, lack of housing and high unemployment rates are at the root of what plagues northern communities, especially those in the Eastern Arctic.

What is the minister doing to ensure that these Canadians have access to shelter and the basic services they need to create a brighter future?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, last night Canadians witnessed history in the making as the people of the Eastern Arctic elected the 19 men and women who, come April 1, will represent the first parliament of Nunavut.

As my colleague points out, their challenges will be many. They will fight to bring government and the decisions of government closer to the people of the Eastern Arctic. That will include ensuring the stabilization of economic development opportunities that currently exist in the Eastern Arctic and forging new relationships with Canadians who live in the south and those in circumpolar nations around the world.

Kosovo

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence is planning an end run around parliament over the decision to send Canadian troops to Kosovo.

Apparently he does not think Canadians should be consulted and does not intend to hold a full parliamentary debate on the matter. This is a slap in the face to democracy and an insult to Canadians.

Will the minister commit to a full parliamentary debate before sending troops to Kosovo.

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that this afternoon at 3.15 is a meeting of House leaders at which this very item is on the agenda, and he has known it since last week.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the truth is the government does not intend to—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. The hon. member for Red Deer has the floor.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government does not intend to tell us about the plan until after the fact. It does not want to debate the plan in the House.

The Minister of National Defence gave parliament the salute in classic Trudeau style yesterday when he said that he did not think it was necessary to hold a full parliamentary debate over the deployment of troops to Kosovo.

Canada is not a dictatorship. There should be an open and frank discussion about it before the decision is made. I ask again—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.