House of Commons Hansard #175 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was senate.

Topics

BankruptciesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. Minister of Finance.

BankruptciesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is mistaken. In fact the rate of bankruptcies both personal and business is on the decline.

I would just like to add a couple of facts to the numbers of the Minister of Human Resources Development. The member may want to know that not only were 44,000 new jobs created for youth this year. It has been over 200,000 since January 1998.

Since December 1996 there have been 909,000 new jobs created in the country, with 526,000 created in the last 12 months. In the past seven months, 400,000 new jobs were created—

BankruptciesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Kings—Hants.

BankruptciesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Scott Brison Progressive Conservative Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, I am awfully glad the minister has discussed the employment figures. The fact is that the U.S. has the lowest unemployment right now in 20 years. I do not think the minister can claim credit for that. In fact I do not think he can claim credit for the success in the reduction of Canadian unemployment rates either.

The previous government's policies, free trade, the GST, deregulation of financial services and transportation and energy were the structural changes that were necessary.

Will the minister do what is right and reduce taxes for Canadians so that the next generation of Canadians can succeed in this country?

BankruptciesOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I really do not know why the hon. member does this to himself and his party. When we took office we inherited an 11.5% unemployment rate from the Tory government. It is now 7.8%.

Let us understand something. The 400,000 new jobs that have been created in the last seven months were more jobs than were created in the entire last mandate of the Tory party.

HealthOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Reform

Keith Martin Reform Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC

Mr. Speaker, Jeff Cuff is a young man living in Newfoundland who needs a bone marrow transplant to save his life. Thousands of Newfoundlanders have said yes, they would be willing to be donors. The Canadian blood system, though, said no because it does not have the money to screen these potential donors.

Will the Minister of Health guarantee to Jeff Cuff and others who require these life saving procedures that there will be enough money to screen potential life saving donors?

HealthOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the member should know that the Canadian Blood Service is owned and funded by the provinces. It is regulated by the Government of Canada. We do not fund it.

If indeed the CBS requires more funding to do its work, I am certain that it will tell the provincial ministers that is the case and the provincial ministers will have to decide whether to put it in funds.

Aerospace Research CentreOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Bloc

Maurice Dumas Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, in December, the Montreal chamber of commerce expressed the hope that the future aerospace research centre would be built in the Mirabel region, given the location there of the airport, Bell helicopters, Bombardier and a number of other related businesses.

My question is for the Minister of Industry. Is he prepared to choose Mirabel as the site for the new aerospace research centre?

Aerospace Research CentreOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, the question is really a bit premature, since no decision on the creation of this institute has yet been taken. It depends on the availability of funds for the National Research Centre of Canada.

If we do set up this institute, I have already indicated my approval in principle of establishing it in the Mirabel region. The decision on its location will be made after the decision on its creation.

Uranium MiningOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Rick Laliberte NDP Churchill River, SK

Mr. Speaker, northern Saskatchewan's abandoned Gunnar and Lorado uranium mining sites are an environmental and public safety issue.

The children of Uranium City are exposed daily to the hazardous nature of the abandoned and deteriorating properties of the former mining town. While governments continue to expand uranium mining, these abandoned sites require reclamation.

When will the Minister of Natural Resources commit to funding arrangements with Saskatchewan to decommission and reclaim these sites creating green jobs for northern residents through environmental technology, training and employment opportunities?

Uranium MiningOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, there are significant environmental issues to be resolved with respect to these previous mining locations in northern Saskatchewan. I agree with the hon. gentleman that there may be some positive spin-off benefits in terms of economic activity, training and job creation potential.

The issue in terms of the source of funds that is necessary because we are essentially dealing with abandoned sites is presently under discussion between the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada.

TransportOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Scott Brison Progressive Conservative Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. The loss of Devco has caused the loss of 1,700 jobs in Nova Scotia. There are opportunities, though, for Nova Scotia. The super port in Halifax could result in the creation of up to 5,000 direct and indirect jobs in construction and spin-off jobs in Nova Scotia. Winning this bid would be good for both Nova Scotia and Canada.

Will the government commit today to a strategy to help ensure that the super port facility comes to Halifax where it belongs?

TransportOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the government certainly agrees with the hon. member that should Maersk containers allocate Halifax as one of its ports of choice it would be good not just for Nova Scotia but for all of Canada.

The minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and I have said publicly that once the decision is made by Maersk it will be incumbent upon all levels of government and all Canadians to ensure this very worthy development goes forward.

Drug TraffickingOral Question Period

February 5th, 1999 / 11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Bill Graham Liberal Toronto Centre—Rosedale, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa has returned from South America where he was attending discussions on how to control drug trafficking. I understand he narrowly missed an earthquake on which I congratulate him.

Could he please tell the House what these meetings accomplished to build international support to deal with this issue which is of such great importance to Canadians?

Drug TraffickingOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Edmonton Southeast Alberta

Liberal

David Kilgour LiberalSecretary of State (Latin America and Africa)

Mr. Speaker, the objective was to meet the governments of the four Andean countries to discuss the foreign ministers' drug dialogue which was launched by our minister last month in Jamaica.

The visit was well received by all. They appreciate Canada's holistic approach to drugs and see them as a major problem in development, health and trade. One official I met said that drugs kill not only people but also institutions.

As the member has indicated, it is an extremely important problem for all of us in the Americas.

AgricultureOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Reform

Howard Hilstrom Reform Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, the agriculture minister still does not understand that the farm income crisis is real and serious. He says that he is still diligently working away.

How hard was he working during January when he was out of the country on a junket? By what date will the farmers have a plan on the table and can start getting their cheques? I would like to ask that right now.

AgricultureOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario

Liberal

Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, I will answer that right now. We are very close to having the criteria finalized.

If the hon. member wants to be of great assistance he can go back home on the weekend and convince the government of his province that if it comes onboard on the 60:40 split we talked about all along, the farmers of Manitoba will get the full support from this program when it is delivered.

Farm Safety Net Income ProgramOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Hélène Alarie Bloc Louis-Hébert, QC

Mr. Speaker, in December, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced a $900 million aid program to help farmers cope with large revenue losses.

Given that this program sets a number of conditions, in particular a ceiling on allowable individual assistance, without covering negative gross margins, will the minister admit that the total assistance for farmers will unfortunately fall well below the amount announced?

Farm Safety Net Income ProgramOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario

Liberal

Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, the total amount is available for producers. The criteria are being finalized at this time. Every farmer in Canada who meets that criteria, no matter where they are, will be eligible for it.

With all programs, parameters have to be set and we are trying to set those parameters in such a way that they are as fair as possible, that they are equitable to everyone and that they deliver the assistance to those who need it.

Rail SafetyOral Question Period

Noon

NDP

Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. I wonder if he is aware that CN and CP are running trains now which are some 10,000 feet in length. Instead of the already long trains which they have been in the habit of running, which are 5,000 to 6,000 feet, we now have trains which are 153 to 160 cars in length. There is a great concern arising among the people who work on the trains and in communities across the country about these trains not being able to clear crossings in the time that trains used to clear crossings.

Would the Minister of Transport undertake to investigate this matter and report back to the House as to what his views are on it, unless he has views on it already?

Rail SafetyOral Question Period

Noon

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that safety is Transport Canada's top priority. There is a trend toward elongated trains by the railways.

My officials have been on top of this matter since the announcements were made to ensure that safety standards are met. As of this point in time I have no information which would suggest that there is any compromising of safety.

This is an ongoing matter because we want to make sure that rail safety is indeed as good as we think it is.

Famine In North KoreaOral Question Period

Noon

Progressive Conservative

Diane St-Jacques Progressive Conservative Shefford, QC

Mr. Speaker, the famine in North Korea is comparable to the Ethiopian famine of the 1980s. Reduced assistance from Russia and China, coupled with floods and drought, saw the food supply begin to dwindle in 1995.

Sixty-two per cent of the children under the age of seven have stunted growth and almost as many are facing mental development problems.

My question is for the Minister for International Co-operation. What has Canada done to date in this matter, and why can it not do more to help the starving people of North Korea?

Famine In North KoreaOral Question Period

Noon

Edmonton Southeast Alberta

Liberal

David Kilgour LiberalSecretary of State (Latin America and Africa)

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to note the member's question. We will look into the matter and get back to her as soon as possible.

Social UnionRoutine Proceedings

Noon

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of pleasure this morning that I table on behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, in both official languages, a document entitled “A Framework to Improve the Social Union for Canadians”.

Social UnionRoutine Proceedings

Noon

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table in the House of Commons the exchange of letters between the Prime Minister and the provincial premiers concerning the social union.