House of Commons Hansard #199 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was grain.

Topics

EqualizationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his very relevant question.

In fact, the $1.4 billion was transferred today to the Government of Quebec, enabling it, for the first time—

EqualizationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

EqualizationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Jean Chrétien Liberal Saint-Maurice, QC

—to put more money into certain programs. It has enabled the government to balance its budget for the first time.

Unfortunately, it is the fault of the federal government.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Jason Kenney Reform Calgary Southeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, because of the government's bungling of the growing PSAC strike, millions of Canadians have seen their GST rebate cheques and their tax refunds delayed and held up at tax centres across the country.

This means that money that belongs to Canadians, not bureaucrats or the union, is not available to pay the rent or buy the groceries.

When those Canadians are late in filing their returns they get fines, penalties or jail time. What will the government do to ensure Canadians get the money that belongs to them immediately so they do not have to wait any longer?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Hamilton Mountain Ontario

Liberal

Beth Phinney LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, as the minister stated earlier this week, we regret any disruption to services to Canadians as a result of the rotating PSAC strike.

We are extremely concerned because we want to ensure that refunds to which Canadians are entitled are delivered on time. We are watching the situation very closely so we can meet our responsibilities and obligations to taxpayers across the country.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Reform

Jason Kenney Reform Calgary Southeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, isn't that lovely. It simply is not adequate for the families that are waiting to pay the rent or to buy their groceries with their cheques held up at government tax centres.

It is fine that the government is watching and is concerned but will it act? How will it act? When will act to ensure that Canadians get the money that belongs to them, not to the government or the union?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Hull—Aylmer Québec

Liberal

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

Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that PSAC would take Canadians as hostages in this kind of event. We regret it as much as the opposition does. The union has the right to strike. We have done everything we could to prevent it. We have come back to the negotiating table. We have enriched our offer.

Unfortunately in our view the union's demands cannot be satisfied. They are excessive. At present we are looking at all possible options to deal with this problem.

Conflict Of Interest CodeOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Lorne Nystrom NDP Qu'Appelle, SK

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister,

Yvon Duhaime, the man who bought the hotel in Grand'Mére from the Prime Minister and his partners, received a federal grant of $164,000 and a federal loan for $650,000. At a meeting where these applications were reviewed, a senior aide to the Prime Minister was in attendance.

This is a clear violation of clause 7 of the conflict of interest code for public office holders.

Can the Prime Minister explain to us why an aide from his office was at that meeting in violation of the code?

Conflict Of Interest CodeOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, one of the strengths of the transitional job fund is to consult with local members of parliament. It takes place with opposition members of parliament as much as with government members of parliament.

It is also important to consult in the Saint-Maurice riding when we invest money in the creation of jobs in areas of high unemployment. The very strength of that program is the consultation that is very wisely done.

Conflict Of Interest CodeOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Lorne Nystrom NDP Qu'Appelle, SK

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is no ordinary MP. The Prime Minister also sold his hotel to this gentleman.

I want to know why the Prime Minister's assistant was there. Was it because of Mr. Duhaime's dismal business record, because he had three criminal convictions or simply because he made a contribution to the Liberal Party? Why was the Prime Minister's aide there?

The Prime Minister has to answer this question. He deserves to answer it for the sake of the Canadian people. It was a conflict. Answer the question, Mr. Prime Minister.

Conflict Of Interest CodeOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

The Speaker

All your remarks, please, will be made to the Chair and not to another member.

Conflict Of Interest CodeOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, my department recommended this very project for approval because it met all the standard eligibility under the transitional job fund.

This fund is providing money to create employment in a region where unemployment is pretty high. This project continues to meet its contractual obligation and has indeed created the 19 jobs forecasted.

Conflict Of Interest CodeOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jim Jones Progressive Conservative Markham, ON

Mr. Speaker, I will try again since we are not getting answers to the question.

Canadian taxpayers deserve to know why would Yvon Duhaime, a guy with a criminal record, poor credit, a bad tax history and a failing business be able to get his hands on almost $900,000 in government loans and grants.

Duhaime's Grand'Mère hotel had an excessive debt, was not paying its bills and did not have an accountant or a budgeting system when he applied for federal money. For some reason the Prime Minister's staff took an active interest in this project.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Do all dubious characters get $900,000 in grants and loans?

Conflict Of Interest CodeOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has of course inflated that number beyond previous questions because he is including amounts that were loaned on a commercial basis by the Business Development Bank of Canada.

I point out to the hon. member that not only was there nobody in attendance but that decision was made by the regional office in Montreal, by a vice-president of the Business Development Bank, on a commercial basis.

Not only that but our private sector lenders were also involved in the same loan, including le Fonds de solidarité, which contributed money on a commercial basis. Charges were taken. Security was given. Everything in that loan was quite normal.

Conflict Of Interest CodeOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jim Jones Progressive Conservative Markham, ON

Mr. Speaker, Yvon Duhaime is not just a constituent. He is the son-in-law of Robert Cloutier, the Liberal Party supporter and untendered contractor on the Prime Minister's cottage.

The running total is now more than $1 million to one family in his own riding. Section 11 of the Auditor General Act allows the auditor general, by order in council, to examine any person who receives dollars from the federal government.

Will the Prime Minister stop hiding and refer this to the auditor general for an independent investigation?

Conflict Of Interest CodeOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel Québec

Liberal

Alfonso Gagliano LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, the auditor general has all the authority necessary to audit any books, any transaction of the Government of Canada. That is his job and as a matter of fact he is almost full time in my department.

Softwood LumberOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Reform

Darrel Stinson Reform Okanagan—Shuswap, BC

Mr. Speaker, when Canada entered the softwood lumber agreement with the United States, it sold it to Canadian producers as a guarantee that they would get five years of peaceful exports and job security. Instead they got job losses and uncertainty. Now the U.S. is threatening further restrictions by adding rough headed products to this already set in stone quota.

What action will the government take to stop the constant harassment by the United States with regard to our forest industry?

Softwood LumberOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

York West Ontario

Liberal

Sergio Marchi LiberalMinister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, the preamble to the gentleman's question is wrong.

Not only did the producers support the agreement but all the four provinces agreed with entering the agreement. We have already said that the American position lately on this new tariff will not be accepted by Canada.

We are speaking to the very producers and stakeholders to monitor the situation and to evaluate what best options are available.

Certainly we are prepared to defend the softwood lumber industry to the teeth.

AgricultureOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

John Harvard Liberal Charleswood—Assiniboine, MB

Mr. Speaker, further to the PSAC strike on the west coast, it has disrupted grain shipments from Vancouver and that seriously affects Canada as a grain supplier and costs farmers millions of dollars.

Could the minister of agriculture tell the House what long term effect the strike might have on Canada's reputation as a reliable supplier of quality grain?

AgricultureOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario

Liberal

Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, grain prices are low enough that Canadian farmers do not need anything else reducing their income.

Unfortunately the Canadian Wheat Board has informed us that in the last 48 hours it has lost a $9 million sale because the reliability of our delivery system is in question. I had that raised with me by some major purchasers last week.

The Saskatchewan Wheat Pool is encouraging the parties to come to the table. Premiers are encouraging people to come to the table and even ministers of agriculture from provinces such as Saskatchewan have phoned me and are encouraging us if necessary to use legislation to get them back to the table.

ProductivityOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Antoine Dubé Bloc Lévis, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Finance answered a question I asked by saying that the OECD report predicting our standard of living would be 15% below the average of the other countries dates from the 1980s.

Are we surprised that the Minister of Finance has no real solution to get us out of this mess, given that he is unaware that the OECD report in question is not from the 1980s, but from June 1998?

What does he have to say now?

ProductivityOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the member misunderstands.

What I said was that it is a report based on a problem that had its roots in the 1980s, 1990s.

It is a great pleasure for me to say that, as the result of measures taken by our government, productivity is much higher in the 1990s than it was in the 1980s.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. We all know conditions are deplorable in first nation communities.

Now we have the Cross Lake First Nation in Manitoba declaring a health care state of emergency. Conditions have reached a critical point. There is a shortage of equipment, too few nurses overworked to the point of burnout and infrequent doctor visits.

The community has called on the World Health Organization to intervene. It is requesting a fully staffed field hospital from the Department of National Defence.

Do aboriginal leaders have to call on the army or will the Minister of Health provide immediate assistance?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I have met on two occasions since January with the chiefs in Manitoba to speak to them about the challenges we face in delivering health services in those communities.

It is not just in aboriginal communities but it is in all rural and remote communities that we have difficulties recruiting and retaining health professionals, both doctors and nurses.

We formed a working group in Manitoba, as we have in northern Ontario, to deal with these issues. Those efforts in common with aboriginal communities themselves, taken together with the additional moneys provided in the recent budget, will help us toward solving these very difficult problems.

ProductivityOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Scott Brison Progressive Conservative Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, there is a major split within cabinet.

The Minister of Industry said that Canada has the lowest productivity level among G-7 countries. However, the Minister of Finance stated that it is not a problem.

Is the government trying to confuse Canadians in order to hide the facts regarding the decline of our standard of living?