House of Commons Hansard #194 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was cmhc.

Topics

Young Offenders ActOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Young Offenders ActOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

The Speaker

I advise the hon. member to choose his words very carefully.

Young Offenders ActOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Bellehumeur Bloc Berthier—Montcalm, QC

Mr. Speaker, the numbers were wrong.

In spite of the so-called opting out clause, which was the object of a calculated leak on her part, will the minister admit her bill is her response to pressure from the right wing in western Canada, and that the measures she is proposing are useless, ill conceived and even dangerous?

Young Offenders ActOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, I will not concede that. In fact what we have presented today in the House is a balanced and principled approach to a growing concern on the part of Canadians in terms of their lack of confidence in the youth justice system.

Let me remind members that in fact our balanced approach is based upon an overarching commitment to protection of society. We do not take a uni-dimensional approach to that challenge, unlike some. We believe that we achieve that protection through, first, crime prevention; second, meaningful consequences when crimes are committed; and third, rehabilitation and reintegration.

Young Offenders ActOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice seems to think that only she and her government know what is good for people and she in fact says that other people just do not understand.

Let me remind the justice minister that the member for Surrey North is a victim of youth crime. He paid a terrible price and he ran for parliament on those grounds.

How can the minister possibly say that the member for Surrey North, or this caucus or anyone across the country who does not agree with her, just does not understand?

Young Offenders ActOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I am not saying that Canadians do not understand. In fact, we have listened to Canadians. We have been told by Canadians that they want a new youth justice system which reflects their values, values of accountability and responsibility, with a further emphasis on prevention. The other thing they told us was, for them, that does not mean putting more kids in jail for longer.

Young Offenders ActOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Deborah Grey Reform Edmonton North, AB

Mr. Speaker, I have a degree in criminology and I do not think that putting ten and eleven year olds in jail is the answer. I agree with the minister.

These people need to be brought into the system. Ten and eleven year olds need to be brought into the system so they can be rehabilitated when we know that they are there. The child welfare system is not going to salvage these kids, and the minister knows it.

Again, the minister says that the member for Surrey North just does not understand, that we do not understand about ten and eleven year olds. How in the world does the minister think she has all the answers and that this is going to solve the problems of youth crime?

Young Offenders ActOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, we do not suggest on this side of the House that we have all the answers, unlike our friends over there who have a simplistic, black and white, uni-dimensional answer for every complex social problem.

If the hon. member for Edmonton North bothered to read the youth justice strategy she would see that we have a multi-dimensional approach that speaks to the real concerns of Canadians. We prevent crime in the first place. When crimes are committed, we provide meaningful consequences and when—

Young Offenders ActOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Québec.

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

Mr. Speaker, a woman who leaves the work force to stay home with her child is discriminated against by the employment insurance program.

Even if training may be available, she will have work 910 hours to requalify.

Since most women who return to the work force have no job security, does the Minister of Human Resources Development not understand that most of them will never be able to accumulate enough hours to qualify?

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I find the opposite to be true. The labour market has been rather favourable for women in recent years.

There has been a 3% drop in female unemployment in recent years. The bulk of jobs were full time, not part time, as the member for Québec says.

We are making available to women who wish to return to the workforce active measures to make that possible, as well as training to enhance their employability. I believe, therefore, that our reform serves women's interests.

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC

Mr. Speaker, we know that the minister is constantly telling us that women who work part time now find it easier to become eligible, but the complete opposite is true.

Will he agree to tell us that, yes, these women pay premiums, but 70% of unemployed women do not qualify for benefits? Yes, they pay in but, no, they do not draw benefits.

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I shall shortly have the opportunity to table a report in this House assessing the impact of our employment insurance reform.

I recognize the hon. member for Québec's interest in this issue. It is true that women who work less than 15 hours are now in a better position with our hour-based employment insurance system. This is definitely the case for those who work less than 15 hours some weeks.

Now, for those women who work more than 15 hours and up to somewhere around 30, there will have to be a careful review of what the impact of employment insurance reform is on them, and what steps will have to be taken in future.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister cannot convince members of his own family that he has cut taxes, we know things are pretty bad. But listen to what his in-law Paul Desmarais had to say. “Why pay taxes in Canada when taxes are so exorbitant?” He went on say “When the government is too greedy, people find other solutions”. That is his own family.

Since even they do not believe the Prime Minister's junk about cutting taxes in this year's budget, why should the rest of Canada?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, we made it very clear that we were going to bring down the tax burden in this country and we have, by $16.5 billion over the course of the next three years.

We also said that we would move right up the income scale, but that we would begin with those who need it most, low income Canadians, and then we would do it for middle income Canadians. That is what we have done.

However, I am prepared to admit that as we move up the income scale it may take us a long time to get to Paul Desmarais.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, Paul Desmarais is also the finance minister's mentor and old boss. Too bad his good sense did not rub off on the finance minister.

Is the finance minister proud that even his old friend Mr. Desmarais thinks his high tax policies are killing Canada?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will note that in the same article what Mr. Desmarais said was that he was going to stay in Canada and that he was going to pay his taxes in Canada because he recognizes that it is those taxes, the taxes of all Canadians, which pay for our health care and education.

The hon. member talked about good sense rubbing off. I would rather have something bigger than simply cents rub off.

Public ServiceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

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

Mr. Speaker, we thought the government had learned a few lessons from the APEC scandal.

But no, yesterday the government literally let the dogs loose on the heels of the public service blue collar workers demonstrating for equal pay for work of equal value in different regions in Canada.

Will the President of the Treasury Board finally accept his responsibilities and negotiate with these employees or will he let this violence escalate on the assumption that dogs are not as bad as baseball bats?

Public ServiceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Hull—Aylmer Québec

Liberal

Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, negotiations are continuing with the blue collar workers.

The government has accepted the conciliation report. We are hoping that those currently on strike will accept it too and that we will find a solution quickly.

In this case, obviously, there was violence because people were not obeying the law. We hope, however, that negotiations will conclude soon.

Snow GeeseOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Yvon Charbonneau Liberal Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Fisheries and Oceans.

Every year the crops of farmers in the St. Lawrence valley are ravaged by snow geese in their spring migration.

Could the secretary of state tell us what the Government of Canada intends to do to reduce the damage?

Snow GeeseOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'Islet Québec

Liberal

Gilbert Normand LiberalSecretary of State (Agriculture and Agri-Food)(Fisheries and Oceans)

Mr. Speaker, again this year Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will be working with the UPA and the Province of Quebec to reduce damage to farmlands.

To do so, we bill be investing $50,000 specifically to—

Snow GeeseOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Snow GeeseOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. The secretary of state.

Snow GeeseOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Gilbert Normand Liberal Bellechasse—Etchemins—Montmagny—L'Islet, QC

Mr. Speaker, we have to start from the beginning. I succeeded in obtaining $50,000 to protect farmlands in the St. Lawrence valley. We will be working with the Province of Quebec and the UPA to find an environmental solution to the damage the snow geese are currently causing to farmlands.

HealthOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Grant Hill Reform Macleod, AB

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the highest court in Ontario ruled that the Red Cross was negligent in tainted blood in 1983. That is fully three years before this government admits its negligence.

Why does the government not just admit that its bogus date of 1986 is absolutely incorrect and throw it out?