Debates of March 19th, 1999

Employment Insurance

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with such large surpluses in the EI fund and such a damning report on women and youth, does the Minister of Finance really believe he is managing EI wisely and not just exploiting people?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker]

I would ask members to be a bit more judicious in their choice of words.

[Bonnie Brown, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, the member's question reveals an attitude toward our young people with which this side disagrees. That attitude suggests that youth should receive more EI. On the other hand we think young Canadians should be given the opportunity to go to school and to get a good job. That is how we are trying to help them.

Most Canadians share these values with us. The 143,000 new jobs for young Canadians is the best performance in youth employment in 20 years. Let us give credit where credit is due and let us allow young people to have an optimistic—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Wetaskiwin.

Movement Of Grain

[Dale Johnston, Reform, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, time and time again Canadian farmers have been forced to endure the effects of work stoppages at west coast ports. Last night in debate in the House the President of the Treasury Board indicated that he was looking at all options to rectify this situation.

Could he tell us if all options include final offer selection arbitration, a long term remedy as recommended by Justice Estey, by the west coast ports inquiry, and by the Reform Party?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are looking at all options and I do not want to limit them.

We have been looking at arbitration but as the member knows arbitration was suspended by law in 1996. At present we are looking at how we can indicate to the union that the correct course for it and for all Canadians is to come back to the table and stop making excessive demands which it knows cannot be met. We are asking the union to stop taking Canadians as hostages. We hope that this will be concluded very soon.

[Jake Hoeppner, Reform, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, when the Canadian Wheat Board figured it was losing a few dollars by farmers exporting their own grain, the government was quick to react and throw a few of them in jail. Because of the negligence of the government, 120,000 farmers are now losing millions because of the strike at Vancouver.

Who will be thrown in the clink this time? Could it be the treasury board minister? Could it be the labour minister, or could it even be the wheat board minister? Western farmers feel it should be all three.

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

Mr. Speaker, members of the Reform Party have to learn that there are some laws in the country which give the unions the right to strike.

They have to recognize that the laws are there and that they, like all Canadians, have to obey them. In this case, if the right to strike is being abused, we listened to the emergency debate last night. We learned the position of the Reform Party. We will take the decision that is favourable to all Canadians very soon.

Black Lake Bc Mine

[Jean-Guy Chrétien, Bloc, Frontenac—Mégantic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on January 28, the federal government announced that it was making a lump sum payment of $111 million for employees affected by the decision to scale back operations at the Phalen mine in Cape Breton. This plan included an early retirement program, severance pay, and a training allowance.

Why does the Minister of Human Resources Development not introduce a similar program for former employees of the BC mine in Black Lake, who have had to settle for the minister's rhetoric since the mine was closed?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I can only answer with respect to the Cape Breton development issue. In this case a workforce adjustment package of $111 million will be provided to workers with fair severance and early retirement packages.

A $68 million economic development package has been made available to invest in the Cape Breton economy. This is in addition to some $80 million already planned for investment through the budgets of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation.

Agriculture

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. How severe is the hurt to our international reputation from this on again, off again public servant strike against private grain company terminals on the west coast?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, as I informed the House yesterday, the Canadian Wheat Board has already lost at least one sale of $9 million. Other customers are saying that because of their hesitancy and their confidence in the reliability of supply that they do not even want to talk. Farmers have taken enough of a blow to their incomes because of export subsidies in other countries and international prices.

We ask the workers to come back to the bargaining table, to do the right thing, bargain in the reality of today and get the grain moving for the benefit of the whole industry.

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, Paul Gervais is a twice convicted pedophile. Instead of being locked up for molesting nine boys this child predator was awarded a conditional sentence and sent home free. It is not bad enough that his victims suffered from his abuse but now they must endure the abuse of a failed justice system.

I met with five of these young men last night. They asked me some tough questions. On their behalf I ask the justice minister why she will not change the law so that rather than setting child molesters like Paul Gervais free, they go directly to jail.

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I have had occasion to speak on this question often in the House. Obviously the opposition does not get it. The minister has written to the justice committee asking the committee to study this issue.

[Some hon. members]

Oh. oh.

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

They do not care about due process.

The Supreme Court of Canada will be rendering a decision very soon. If the supreme court and the justice committee recommend it, the minister will make the changes. She has said so in the House.

Mount Royal College

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Mount Royal College in Calgary borders on the now closed Canadian Forces Base Calgary. This college is overflowing in capacity and has been that way for years now. There is a desperate need for more room. It has been trying to negotiate a fair price with the federal government for a portion of the military base that has been abandoned but the government wants profits instead at the expense of students.

Will the President of the Treasury Board put the educational needs of the students ahead of profit and give Mount Royal College—

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

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

Mr. Speaker, the policy of the Government of Canada is to transfer land to anybody at market value. Therefore if the Government of Alberta wants to negotiate it can do so with Canada land. For example, a school on the base was sold to a private school at market value.

The Government of Canada has transferred a certain amount of money to the province through the Minister of Finance for education, health care and other social programs. I think the Government of Alberta should negotiate and pay market value for that piece of land.

Publications

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. It has to do with a recent interpretation by Heritage Canada which puts at risk several catholic newspapers in the country, the Catholic Register , the Prairie Messenger and a number of others.

Could the Deputy Prime Minister say whether the government is prepared to abandon this interpretation and ensure the survival of these catholic newspapers and other religious journals that may be affected by subsequent rulings if the government does not come to its senses on this?

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, the adjustment to the policies is a result of the decision by the WTO to which the Government of Canada is responding by complying. That has been the consequence of the change in administering the subsidy. Some magazines have been advised that they would lose their subsidy. The government has agreed to review that in an attempt to accommodate these magazines in the future, as we have in the past. That review is being carried out as we speak.

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe the reach of the WTO is so deep that it would threaten these newspapers. We truly have a world government and no national government when this kind of thing can happen.

I have a supplementary question for the Deputy Prime Minister also having to do with freedom of expression. The Deputy Prime Minister will be aware of a recent Ontario court decision having to do with the elections act and various provisions in it with respect to smaller parties.

I wonder whether the Deputy Prime Minister could tell the House now that the government will not be appealing this decision and in the upcoming amendments to the elections act these provisions, which have been struck down, will be changed so that there will be greater freedom of access for smaller parties to the Canadian electoral system.

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, as minister responsible for the Canada Elections Act, I can tell my hon. colleague that the issue is presently being reviewed. We are reviewing and analysing the court decision in reference to the Figueroa case.

We will able to make a determination as to whether there will be an appeal probably within the next week or so.

In terms of when we will be introducing the revisions to the elections act, I hope to be able to do so within the next few weeks.

Public Works And Government Services

[Gilles Bernier, Progressive Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, we have learned that cost of operating the ministerial regional office in Fredericton for the first year is $484,000. Only three cabinet ministers have used this office in the past year. That means it cost taxpayers over $161,000 for each meeting. One can get a hotel suite with an adjoining board room in Fredericton for $175 a day.

Will the minister shut down this money pit and end this embarrassing habit?