Debates of March 3rd, 1999

Federal Employees' Pension Fund

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government's foot-dragging in the Singer affair was difficult to comprehend. But things are clearer now that we know that the government plans to treat its own employees the same way and pocket the surplus in their pension fund.

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Papineau—Saint-Denis, QC]

That is dishonest.

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Does the President of the Treasury Board in fact intend to engage in a new confrontation with public servants over the surplus in their pension fund, just as he is now at daggers drawn with blue collar workers, women, professionals and retired employees of the public service?

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, I must repeat that the public service pension plan is a legislated fund and thus differs legally from a private sector pension plan.

All the risks associated with the public service pension plan are assumed by the government. When there is a deficit, the government picks up the whole tab. Through legislation, the government has guaranteed the benefits of employees receiving pensions. These pensions are guaranteed by the government.

Health

[Sue Barnes, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. There are indications that marijuana could be beneficial for the relief of pain and nausea in cancer, AIDS, MS and glaucoma patients. Is the minister supportive of making marijuana medically available to persons in medical need and of supporting research into the medical effectiveness of marijuana?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the member for London West has done a great deal to advance this issue. This government is aware there are Canadians suffering, who have terminal illnesses, who believe that using medical marijuana can help ease their symptoms. We want to help.

As a result, I have asked my officials to develop a plan that will include clinical trials for medical marijuana, appropriate guidelines for its medical use and access to a safe supply of this drug.

The Senate

[Rob Anders, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Senator Carstairs threatened to hold the work of the House hostage if senators do not get their funding increase. Appointed senators intend to restrict the activity of the House of Commons but it is our responsibility to be accountable for the spending of hard earned tax dollars.

Will the Prime Minister publicly rebuke Senator Carstairs for her remarks?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

I will permit the hon. House leader to answer the question.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer the question from the hon. member when he is questioning the estimates of the other place. We know of course that he is almost virtually everything around here, but he and the House should know that a good portion of what is in our estimates are the salaries of the employees of the other place. Among other things he is now against the employees of Parliament Hill.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order. I think we are going down a path here that is getting a little slippery. I ask the hon. member to pose his second question but to please be very judicious.

[Rob Anders, Reform, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, to add insult to injury, the Senate is threatening to go on strike. Who would notice? Yet it is demanding $3 million more. That type of ransom is out of line.

Is the Prime Minister allowing the unaccountable Senate to wag the elected dog?

[The Speaker]

I judge the question to be out of order. If the Prime Minister wishes to answer the question, I will permit him to do so.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I remember not long ago we wanted to reform the Senate and they opposed it. They never take a very long view of things, like earlier today. They voted against every change in the law to help the family. Now they have changed their minds. They voted against Senate reform. Now they are complaining about what they voted for.

Families

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the finance minister. While the Liberal and Reform parties argue about who gets the benefits, parents who work outside the home or parents who work inside the home, the real story is the kids get the short end of the stick.

Parents who stay home with their children get no help from this government and parents who work outside the home are being forced to work longer and longer hours to make ends meet and have less time to spend with their kids.

What will this government do to relieve the stress on Canadian parents and support children?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, that is precisely the point we have been trying to make to the Reform Party, that what is really important here are Canadian children.

That is why as a government we brought in the child tax benefit. That is why we brought in increased funding for the community action program for children. That is why we brought in the prenatal nutrition program, all these items. That is why we protected maternity and paternity benefits in the Canada pension plan against the onslaught of the Reform Party, precisely because the end game here is the welfare of Canadian children.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is the child tax benefit does not even begin to do the job.

Last month Tom Kent, one of the architects of Canadian social programs, issued a study on how we can support children and families. He called on the government to introduce a universally accessible early childhood education program.

Will the minister listen to the architect of Canadian social programs instead of destroying the social programs that we have had and support Canadian children and their families?

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

Mr. Speaker, at the time we moved with the national child benefit our government had conducted extensive consultations across the land and many experts advised us on the very way that has been chosen by this government to help children. There is $2 billion invested in it per year on top of what we were doing.

I remind the member that all provincial governments are participating in it and think it is an extraordinary program helping children and making the provinces and the Government of Canada work together better for Canadian children.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, the late Captain Peter Musselman was a Labrador pilot who took this Liberal government at its word and signed a pilot terminable allowance entitling him to a bonus of $25,000 a year for three years.

He was killed less than a year ago in the Labrador 305 explosion in Gaspe.

Will the minister explain to this House why this man's family is not entitled to the remaining $50,000?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I will be happy to look into the particulars of the case the member is talking about.

While he has raised the matter I should note that the investigation is still underway with respect to the Labrador crash. It was a tragic event. We do not want that to happen again. We want to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible so that if any action needs to be taken to rectify the matter in terms of the safety of our aircraft it will be taken. The safety of our pilots is of utmost importance to us.

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

Mr. Speaker, this does not have anything to do with the crash itself. It is the family.

Families of Canadian forces members who lose their life on duty, such as Captain Musselman, are entitled to a supplementary death benefit equal to two year's salary. The pilot terminable allowance was a three year bonus on his salary. I think we owe his family.

Will the minister ensure that this man's family receives the $50,000 remaining in his PTA? Let us do it right for a change. Please, yes or no?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated a moment ago, I will look into the matter and advise the hon. member accordingly.

We want to do all we can to support the family which has suffered such a great loss.

Foreign Affairs

[Ted McWhinney, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Last December the International Court of Justice rejected Spain's suit against Canada in the fisheries jurisdiction case. The verdict removed earlier questions as to the effect of the 1982 UN convention on the law of the sea on Canada's legal case before the court.

Will the minister consider proceeding now to ratification of the convention?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, Canada has taken a very active role in securing a UN convention to protect straddling stocks, those fishing stocks that are on the 200 mile zone border or on the high seas. We are now actively pursuing a negotiation to get it fully ratified.

I can tell the hon. member that once that enforcement regime is put in place to protect and conserve fishing stocks, Canada will be in a position to ratify the law of the sea convention.