House of Commons Hansard #187 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was million.
Pierre Pettigrew Liberal Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister of Canada and the chairman of the foundation, Jean Monty, assured us that we could resolve this dispute with the Government of Quebec with respect to the resolution by Quebec's National Assembly.
Eugène Bellemare Liberal Carleton—Gloucester, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
Since the early nineties, Canada's official languages minorities have been hit by major cuts made by various governments.
Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell us how the announcement she made in Moncton this morning will correct a difficult situation for official language minorities?
Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I announced this morning that the Government of Canada, which includes all the members of cabinet and the members of parliament, will invest an additional $70 million a year, precisely to help Canadians who are part of a minority.
This was a commitment made by the Prime Minister, who has always worked to build a country that believes in respecting cultural diversity.
The Prime Minister's belief in cultural diversity is being delivered by this $70 million annual addition to the official languages budget.
Lorne Nystrom NDP Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Prime Minister about his constitutional responsibility to appoint senators. There are now three vacancies in the Senate and depending upon court proceedings there may be a couple of others. The legitimacy of the Senate is now in tatters.
Would the Prime Minister consider a pause or a freeze on the appointment of senators for a few weeks or months and instead appoint someone from his own party to consult with members of the opposition parties to see if we could find a consensus on what to do with the Senate in this parliament?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I think I will receive with pleasure the application of the hon. member.
Lorne Nystrom NDP Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is not applying and never would.
When the Prime Minister was the member from Shawinigan back on March 5, 1985, he asked the following question to the then prime minister. He said “Mr. Speaker, I am a bit appalled by the attitude of the Prime Minister. He is the Prime Minister and if he wants to abolish the Senate he has enough members to do it. He does not want to have to play games with us or anybody in this House and he should not cop out like that”.
In light of that, will the Prime Minister accept his own advice, show some leadership, and appoint someone from his own party to consult with the opposition to try to find a consensus as to what to do with the other place?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we voted for a complete reform of the Senate. Some people opposed the Charlottetown agreement when we wanted to have an elected Senate.
I am very proud of the quality of the people I have appointed to the Senate since I have become Prime Minister and I am very proud that I named more women than men for the first time in the history of Canada.
Gerry Ritz Reform Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, from some of the answers we have heard today it is no wonder that Canadians continue to express their lack of confidence in this government's tax schemes. The reality at tax time for most Canadians is no money for RRSPs.
How can Canadians—
TaxationOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order. The hon. member for Battlefords—Lloydminster.
Gerry Ritz Reform Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, the reality at tax time for most Canadians is no money for RRSPs.
How can Canadians save for their future when this government's high taxes drive them to the poor house today?
Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, we have consistently, as I have said, in every budget reduced income taxes. This has been part of our quest and we have achieved it.
Let me point out that our priority has been low and middle income Canadians. They are the ones who need it most. That is why in the last two budgets we have taken 600,000 Canadians right off the tax rolls.
Gerry Ritz Reform Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, if we forget the phoney rhetoric and forget the Liberal spin on a lot of this, the reality is that RRSP contributions are shrinking.
How can Canadians take charge of their own future when the government's tax gouge keeps putting them in the poor house? What kind of help is that?
Jim Peterson LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, we have very generous limits right now and there have been suggestions that we be allowed to increase them in the future.
In terms of providing a secure and dignified retirement for Canadians, it was our government that came to grips with the Canada pension plan and together with the provinces put it on a solid footing.
The party across the way wanted to destroy the Canada pension plan and leave retired seniors to their own means.
Gerald Keddy Progressive Conservative South Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development finally answered an extremely simple question about the election process for the Caldwell First Nation.
It should be noted that Chief Johnson, a custom chief, has not consulted all band members and the minister did not consult the citizens of Blenheim Kent-Essex about the Caldwell Reserve until after the issue received significant amounts of publicity.
Lack of consultation always leads to confrontation. Why did the minister choose this route?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, the route taken was to consult with the community, to talk with them about their legitimate concerns with regard to the negotiated settlement with the Caldwell.
The chief is working with his community. We are talking with other members of the Chatham-Kent area and I believe we will, with the best interests of everyone at stake, find a negotiated resolution to this very important issue.
Gerald Keddy Progressive Conservative South Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, the minister is aware that in other parts of Canada consultation with local municipal units always takes place whenever there are reserve lands that are coming out of an existing municipal unit. In some cases compensation is even provided for lost municipal revenues. It works in Manitoba. It works in other provinces.
Why did the minister not consult with the local Blenheim municipality prior to her unilateral decision that the new Caldwell reserve would be placed in the Blenheim municipality?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, the rhetoric in this question is full of holes, but I would ask the hon. member why, when he visited Chatham-Kent, did he not ask or sit down with the chief himself?
Philip Mayfield Reform Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC
Mr. Speaker, the estimates came out yesterday and guess what? Spending is up a whopping $8 billion for the next year.
Let us see what some of this money is being spent on. The human rights tribunal which, according to the auditor general already has trouble managing its money, doubles its budget from $2 million to $4 million.
The Senate, with two convicted senators, gets another $2 million, a 6% increase—
The Main EstimatesOral Question Period
The Speaker
I would ask the hon. member to go to his question.
Philip Mayfield Reform Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian television fund is getting its budget doubled from $50 million to $100 million. Is this why Canadians who are scratching for rent and groceries cannot get tax relief?
Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, the main reasons for the increases are $800 million for employment insurance benefits, $900 million for the Canada health and social transfer and $800 million for equalization payments.
These are the increases that we are putting into the budget this year in the estimates. They are there to serve the needs of Canadians.
Philip Mayfield Reform Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC
Mr. Speaker, with the estimates out and this government back to big spending Canadians need to know where the tax cuts are coming.
Are the increases always going to be there? Is this $8 billion in new spending the reason Canadians will not get real tax relief now? We need to know.
Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, I have the feeling my hon. colleague misunderstands the purpose of the estimates.
What the estimates indicate is what the money is being spent on and in this case the increases that have taken place, the increases that are in the budget, the increases which they can look at and vote on, are all increases that benefit Canadians. Whether they are equalization payments or health transfers, they are for the benefit of Canadians.
My colleague is nitpicking. The really important expenditures he seems to forget or not know about.
Jean Augustine Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
Mr. Speaker, good nutrition is required for individuals to reach their full physical and intellectual potential.
Since March is nutrition month, could the Minister of Health tell Canadians what the budget has done to improve the nutritional health of mothers and newborns?