Debates of March 15th, 1999

Public Service Of Canada

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Surrey North.

Young Offenders Act

[Chuck Cadman, Reform, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question concerns the publication of names within the proposed youth criminal justice act.

The proposed act provides judges with the discretion to issue a ban on publication for even those who commit murder and sexual assault. We are not talking about protecting the identities of nice people.

Why is the minister proposing to protect the names of such violent offenders and what possible reason could she have for keeping the name of a sex offender from the community?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is probably aware, when one deals with the publication of names and young offenders one is dealing with two important and competing values in society. One is obviously the public's right to know and the value that we place on open courts in our society.

However, the other value, and I know the hon. member is well aware of this, is the fact that we believe young people are capable of rehabilitation and that young people are different and at a different stage of maturity and development than adults.

In fact, it is for us a case of balancing those competing values. We believe that in our new youth criminal justice legislation we have balanced effectively those competing values.

[Chuck Cadman, Reform, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, six and a half years ago a six year old girl was murdered by her sixteen year old neighbour who was on probation for sexually molesting a child one year earlier. The murdered girl's parents knew nothing about the danger that was lurking in the townhouse next door.

Again, how can the minister possibly justify protecting the identity of predators?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we are in fact not protecting the identity of predators.

As the hon. member is probably aware, in relation to some of the most serious offences committed within our society, if the attorney general seeks an adult sentence there will be a presumption that the name of that offender will be published.

Bill C-55

[Wendy Lill, NDP, Dartmouth, NS]

Mr. Speaker, U.S. deputy trade representative Richard Fisher has made it clear that the White House believes Bill C-55 will never be proclaimed into Canadian law. I have wondered that myself since the Liberal report stage amendment and Liberal closed door negotiations with the Americans.

Someone asked a question in the letters to the editor in today's Globe and Mail which reflected my own dismay and that of thousands of other Canadians on this issue. I am wondering if the minister could answer Brian Mossop's questions for all of us: “Has our Constitution changed while I wasn't looking? Do Canadian laws now have to be passed by the House of Commons, the Senate and U.S. trade officials in Washington?”

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, no. I want to thank the hon. NDP critic for the question. It permits me to make abundantly clear that Mr. Fisher was in no way reflecting on any of the discussions. Mr. Fisher is completely wrong when he says that Bill C-55 will not see the light of day.

I hope tonight the support of all members of this House with the exception of the Reform Party will send a very strong signal to Washington that in this country we still make our own laws.

[Wendy Lill, NDP, Dartmouth, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the minister introduced the amendment allowing cabinet to kill the bill after parliament passes it. Her government is directing the closed door talks.

Will the minister guarantee in this House that if parliament passes the bill, it will become law?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, the particular clause I introduced at report stage of the bill is the exact same clause that exists in many pieces of legislation. I will say that in the course of the discussions around other possibilities, we have made it very clear to the Americans that Bill C-55 will proceed. We have no intention of abolishing Bill C-55. We have made it very clear also that any future discussions must hinge on the concept of majority Canadian content. We believe that reflects not only the letter but also the spirit of the legislation.

Young Offenders Act

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, massive Liberal cuts to transfer payments for programs like child welfare and social services have left Canadians with a very tattered social safety net.

The new criminal youth justice act will now divert non-violent youth offenders into an already overburdened system. Since 1993, cuts to existing programs currently prevent youth from getting the necessary direction they need. This coupled with the refusal by the minister to strive for a 50% share of administrative costs smacks of double talk.

How will the minister's youth criminal justice act deal with reformation for non-violent youth without greater resources?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned last week in this House, I received an additional $206 million over the next three years. The vast majority of that money will be sent to the provinces to do the very thing the hon. member is talking about.

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, on the subject of the criminal justice system for young offenders, the Minister of Justice noted that members of gangs that help carry out crimes could be charged.

I wonder how a person could be charged for being an accomplice to a crime when it is not possible to charge the youths committing the primary offence.

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what the hon. member is referring to but I do think he should look at the existing Criminal Code. I take the point that the hon. member as a prosecutor is well versed in the Criminal Code, but I do believe recruitment in a certain number of circumstances does constitute a criminal offence.

Persons With Disabilities

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development. The persons with disabilities community is extraordinarily upset that the most important and crucial source of data for public policy on persons with disabilities has not been completed since 1991. Can the minister assure this House that the health activities limitations survey, HALS, will be completed in 2001?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is quite clear that our government is committed to helping persons with disabilities. We have made progress in this area. The lack of useful data on persons with disabilities has been a serious concern for all those who work on public policy in this area. That is why I am pleased to announce that my department will be providing $1.2 million to the development of the 2001 health activities limitations survey known as HALS.

National Revenue

[Rob Anders, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last month this government tried to downplay its decision to move the processing of eastern Ontario tax returns to the Prime Minister's riding of Shawinigan. Now even the Prime Minister's own backbenchers are speaking out against this blatant pork barrel giveaway to Shawinigan. Last week the member for Timiskaming—Cochrane said the decision was stupid and he wants the decision reversed.

Who will admit that the PM is just buying votes with pork and patronage in his own riding?

[The Speaker]

We are getting a little bit close, my colleague, so be judicious. The hon. Minister of National Revenue.

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, as usual Reform does not have its facts right.

The hon. member for Calgary Southeast a few weeks ago said that hundreds of jobs have been transferred to Shawinigan. I gave him the real facts. One job was transferred. I would hope the member would check his facts more appropriately before asking questions.

Building Contracts

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Solicitor General has just said in the House that the companies with contracts for the Prime Minister's cottage got them without a call for tender for security reasons. He also said that Continental Asphalt was recommended by the RCMP.

How can he say such a thing, when the only investigation at issue is the one done by the RCMP of Continental Asphalt that led to a charge of fraud, currently before the court in Shawinigan? It involves 119 of its employees. How can he say that?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, what I did indicate was that the RCMP recommended that this company receive the contract. I did say it received the contract for security reasons. That is why the Prime Minister was not involved.

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, in this very memo tabled today in the House, the RCMP requested approval from public works to award one untendered contract worth $80,000 to the Prime Minister's personal contractor. In fact, the contractor received two untendered contracts worth $137,000.

Given that taxpayers already pay for 24 Sussex Drive and Harrington Lake, where did the $57,000 go and how much more will it cost us to keep the Prime Minister safe in Canada?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, it is the RCMP's responsibility to provide protection for the Prime Minister of this country. The Prime Minister did build a home. It is a private matter. He paid for it. He had his own road. The RCMP indicated it needed another access road and that is why the access road was built.

Industry

[Jim Jones, Progressive Conservative, Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government is productivity's worst enemy.

Since 1994 the cost recovery program introduced by this government has hiked regulatory fees by 153% for Canadian manufacturers. These user fees are among the fastest growing costs of doing business in Canada. They are undermining the productivity and international competitiveness of Canadian businesses.

How can the Minister of Industry call for higher productivity when his own government is hammering the private sector with these hidden taxes?

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

Mr. Speaker, the cost recovery policy has a very simple basis. It is that the people who get the benefits from certain services should be the ones to pay the costs for it.

We have dealt with the business community and have had discussions. They are now part of our stakeholders group. We continue to have discussions with them. I must say the policy has been quite well received.

Foreign Aid

[Larry McCormick, Liberal, Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox And Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, increasing numbers of natural disasters, armed conflicts and financial crises have placed an enormous strain on the ability of many developing countries to provide enough food to feed their people. Is Canada prepared to provide additional humanitarian assistance to help feed these starving people?