Debates of March 17th, 1999

Trade

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I understand the reasons for the member's frustration.

The member pretends and purports to stand up for Canadian youth and interests. His party gave information to another country against best interests. I think it rings hollow when the member can be so disloyal and purport to represent Canadian interests.

Housing

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Why has the minister turned his back on thousands of leaky condo owners in B.C. left stranded as their assets literally drain away? In the past the minister committed to federal loans to B.C. with interest rates so high that the province is better off accessing them on the open market. Yesterday he offered the B.C. municipal affairs minister more of the same: nothing.

Why would the minister offer a so-called partnership that offers zero to leaky condo owners?

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

Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, we answered the Barrett commission immediately. We offered to the province $75 million as recommended by the Barrett commission at Canada bank rates. We also offered that British Columbia use CMHC programs. We did not refuse once. We accommodated everybody and we continue to do so.

I asked the British Columbia minister responsible for the leaky condos issue to give me a report before I can agree or disagree with her in terms of whether we should give a loan with reduced interest or interest free.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is just not getting it. He knows that what he has offered to B.C. is at an interest rate so high that it is not a usable program. He knows that they have been negotiating for a year and there is still no commitment from the feds. The homeowners do not need political manoeuvring. They need action. Will the minister at least accept responsibility to help the thousands of co-op housing owners still under federal responsibility who are facing the same crisis?

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

Mr. Speaker we took action immediately. Not only did we give a loan of $75 million, we put money in RRAP for repairs. Forty-two British Columbians used RRAP.

The Government of British Columbia did not put a penny into RRAP. Before B.C. asks for anything, it should put its money where its mouth is.

National Defence

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, in response to a question in the House on the replacement of the Sea King helicopter fleet, the Minister of National Defence said that “The matter is being dealt with at a staff level to make sure that we get the right kind of helicopter with the right kind of equipment”. After 20 years of research, the minister is claiming the forces are dragging their feet.

Will the minister order the Canadian armed forces to produce the statement of requirements this month, yes or no?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian forces personnel are examining what is needed in terms of the helicopters, the requirements for an air frame and the kinds of mission equipment needed to do the job effectively. They are moving as quickly as they can to get the statement of requirements prepared so cabinet can consider the matter. We are doing that as quickly as possible.

[David Price, Progressive Conservative, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as usual, the minister is not answering the question. This has been going on for 20 years.

I want to praise our military personnel for holding the fort under these circumstances: contaminated anthrax vaccine; insurance claims totaling about $100 million in the shipbuilding industry; cancellation of the Reserve's pension fund; and helicopters that are at the end of their useful life. Just yesterday, another one experienced mechanical problems. I could go on and on.

What will the minister do: deal with the helicopters or resign?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we are moving to bring forward a procurement strategy with respect to the replacement of the Sea Kings. Meanwhile we have the Sea Kings that have good maintenance standards. We have good mechanics. I am glad the hon. member praised our military personnel because they do keep these aircraft in good condition to fly. And we will only fly them if they are in good condition.

Let us focus on the great things they do on their missions. They serve Canadians. In search and rescue for example hundreds of lives are saved every year with the use of these helicopters and other aircraft.

Air Safety

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, recent media reports have highlighted an increasingly disturbing trend in the incidence of air rage. Too often airlines are forced to deal with unruly and often violent passengers.

Can the Minister of Transport tell this House what action he will take to protect the majority of air travellers from disruptive and even dangerous passengers?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the incidence of unruly air passengers is certainly of great concern. The government has established a working group with industry, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the airline industry, the Air Transport Association and police enforcement agencies to deal with the problem.

We are looking at strategies that will come up with perhaps new regulations, stricter enforcement and better training for ground and flight crews. This government will not tolerate disorder in the skies.

Firearms Registry

[Garry Breitkreuz, Reform, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last week when I accused the government of bureaucratic bungling and wasting $200 million, the minister's mouthpiece said “the firearms registry was operating very effectively”. So effectively that a firearms owner in B.C. got his new firearms licence and was shocked to find someone else's picture on it.

How would the justice minister like it if her face showed up on someone else's firearms licence?

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

Mr. Speaker, our firearms registry system is working quite well, thank you very much.

Let me inform the House that since December 1 we have received and answered over 160,000 phone calls, mailed over 250,000 forms to individuals, processed 40,000 applications for licences and registrations, issued over 17,000 registration certificate numbers and issued over 12,000 photo ID licences.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in our gallery of the Hon. Wayne Gaudet, the Nova Scotia Minister of Education, Culture and Francophone Affairs.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[The Speaker]

This has been a raucous question period, but we will be having a reception in room 216. The Deputy Speaker and I are inviting members for a cup of coffee, Irish style.

Committees Of The House

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 109 I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts entitled “Department of National Defence: Equipping and Modernizing the Canadian Forces, and Buying Major Capital Equipment”.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

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

Petitions

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present two petitions signed by a number of Canadians, including Canadians from my riding of Mississauga South, on the subject of human rights.

The petitioners draw to the attention of the House that human rights abuses continue to be rampant around the world in countries such as Indonesia.

The petitioners also point out that Canada continues to be recognized internationally as the champion of internationally recognized human rights.

They therefore call upon parliament to continue to speak out against human rights abuses and to seek to bring to justice those responsible for such abuses.

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to present a petition today containing almost 900 signatures from the residents of Fort Nelson, which is in the northern end of my riding.

These citizens are deeply troubled by the recent ruling of B.C. Justice Duncan Shaw declaring the possession of child pornography to be legal in British Columbia. They express their combined outrage toward both the provincial and federal governments for their failure to protect our children.

They call upon parliament to immediately invoke the notwithstanding clause in order to provide children with the protection they are so obviously entitled to.

This petition represents about 30% of the eligible voters of Fort Nelson. I therefore salute the organizers of this petition for the very fine job they did.

[Rose-Marie Ur, Liberal, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am honoured to present a petition signed by residents of the Grand Bend and Dorchester areas who urge parliament to ban the gas additive MMT, noting that studies underway at the University of Quebec are showing adverse health effects, especially on children and seniors.

[Daniel Turp, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of residents of Quebec and the Peace Network of Greater Montreal.

The petitioners call upon parliament to adopt the SCFAIT report as an official policy of the Government of Canada, to fully and promptly implement the recommendations of the report and to harmonize existing government positions and programs within the spirit and intent of the report.

[Roger Gallaway, Liberal, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by 300 people from my riding and the surrounding area.

The petitioners call on parliament to examine the fact that the Senate is an undemocratic institution which costs taxpayers some $50 million a year, is redundant and undermines the role of people in this House. They say that there is a need to modernize our institutions and they call upon parliament to work toward abolishing it.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

Madam Speaker, I am tabling two petitions dealing with different but related issues.

The first petition asks parliament to repeal Bill C-68, the Firearms Act.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

Madam Speaker, I also table a second petition, signed by people from all over Quebec, including the riding of Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île-d'Orléans. It calls upon parliament to support Private Member's Bill C-304, introduced by the hon. member for Yorkton—Melville, which would strengthen the protection for property rights, particularly as regards the possession of firearms.