Debates of March 5th, 1999

Taxation

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat that what the government would like to do is to have the whole question of how the state can help families raise children and what our responsibilities are looked at by the House of Commons finance committee. I would ask the Reform Party to join in a constructive effort to take a look at this.

This is one of the great benefits of having balanced the books. Now that we have balanced the books, the Government of Canada is in even a greater position.

I would remind the hon. member that in this year's budget, $300 million more went into the child tax benefit. I would ask him to look at what the government did regarding prenatal nutrition, what we did in a whole series of measures over a whole series of budgets.

The question is, why does the Reform Party vote against those things that help children?

Irving Whale

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a recent report to the Minister of the Environment on restoration of the site where the Irving Whale went down proposes various ways of dealing with the problem of the PCB contaminated sediments left behind after the barge was refloated in 1996.

Can the Minister of the Environment tell us whether her government is going to remove the contaminated sediment from the Irving Whale site and bill the Irving company?

[Paddy Torsney, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I will take the member's question under advisement and get back to her at a later date.

Fisheries

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, there was further proof last Monday that this government's policy in fishery matters favours the corporate destructive sector over the small inshore fishery. Last Monday High Liner Foods reported an increase of a 50% allocation increase catch on their quota for 1998 while at the same time this government announced a 10,000 tonne further reduction of the quota for groundfish for inshore fishermen.

Why does this government continue to destroy the hopes and dreams of thousands of inshore fishermen, their families and their coastal communities?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, I would hope that the New Democratic Party member is not suggesting that the companies in Atlantic Canada, in particular Nova Scotia, not be profitable. There is a convention in Nova Scotia tonight that perhaps he should go to. The Liberals are going to be talking about building business and industry in Nova Scotia.

The fact is large fish companies and small fish companies are trying to restore profitability in Atlantic Canada and to the fishery. This government is working with them to do that both at the fishery level and the company level.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Gerald Keddy, Progressive Conservative, South Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is famous for his promises. He promised to scrap the Pearson airport deal and it cost Canadians $650 million. He promised to scrap the EH-101 and it cost Canadians a bunch of money and more importantly and more recently eight lives, airmen based out of Greenwood, Nova Scotia. He promised in 1972 to provide a reserve for the Caldwell Indian band in southern Ontario. I would like to know the price of that promise both for aboriginal Canadians and non-aboriginal Canadians.

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, there is an outstanding obligation to the landless Caldwell First Nation that stems from from the 1790 treaty where they along with others surrendered a huge amount of land in return for reserve land. That is the promise. This government is going to do all it can to ensure that we make good on that almost 200-year old commitment.

Year 2000

[Ian Murray, Liberal, Lanark—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.

This morning the media is reporting that the federal government is stocking up on satellite phones because of millennium bug fears. Canadian telephone companies have informed the industry committee that they are confident that they are well prepared for January 1, 2000. Has something changed that is causing the government to take these precautions?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, as we get closer to the turn of the millennium of course the government is taking all the precautions necessary to make sure that we are prepared for any contingency.

I can tell the hon. member, and again it was confirmed in the last few days by a United States Senate report, that Canada is one of the leading nations in the world in Y2K preparedness.

Second, I can say with respect to the telephone system that the hon. member for Ottawa West—Nepean and I visited the Stentor labs a few weeks ago. They demonstrated to us their testing of Y2K. They turned their clocks forward and demonstrated that the tests worked. We are assured that throughout Canada, both the electrical and telephone systems are well on the way to being fully prepared for the change in calendar date.

Trade

[Charlie Penson, Reform, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the United States has just announced 100% duties against the European Union for failing to comply with the World Trade Organization's ruling on bananas.

I would like to pose a very important question. If this trade dispute somehow ends up disrupting Canada's supply of imported bananas, how is the Prime Minister going to control his caucus next Wednesday?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think the problem is really more for the Reform Party. Obviously its members have been starved of bananas for far too long. We will do our best through our very capable Minister for International Trade to make sure that the Reform Party not only gets the bananas it needs, but all the other foods to enable its members to do their job, because they need all the help they can get.

Shipbuilding

[Antoine Dubé, Bloc, Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has harmonized its taxation of the film and television production industry with measures introduced by the Government of Quebec.

Can the Minister of Finance tell us why he does not want to do the same for the shipbuilding industry?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we explained yesterday that there are already tax shelters for the shipbuilding industry. They have been around for a long time. There are also other programs to help this industry.

It is not true that we have a system to reduce the benefits made available by the Province of Quebec. If other provinces wish to offer benefits, as Nova Scotia has done, they are free to do so.

Employment Insurance

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, one of the most unfair things about the EI legislation is the clawback provision where if one makes $39,000 a year or more one has to pay back any EI benefits collected. Just ask the auto workers in Windsor, Ontario what they think of the $39,000 clawback. It seems almost custom written to target them personally and to pick their pockets of benefits that they pay for and deserve.

When will the government call a byelection in Windsor—St. Clair and let the people tell it at the ballot box what they think of the $39,000 clawback rip-off?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the byelection will be called very soon. In spite of the efforts of the hon. member to start the campaign early I am positive that his party will be swept aside and there will be a strong Liberal victory led by Rick Limoges, our outstanding candidate. Thanks for the endorsement of Mr. Limoges. We will see and hear very soon and he will be doing a terrific job for the people of Windsor and the people of Canada.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Before we get to a point of order, during Standing Order 31 statements I was premature in cutting off the member for Souris—Moose Mountain. I jumped the gun. We owe you one.

Points Of Order

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, during question period the minister of Indian affairs indicated to the House and to people watching across Canada that the Reform Party indeed supported Bill C-49 at second reading.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

I am sorry, that is not a point of order. It is a point of debate.

[Dick Harris, Reform, Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, during question period the House leader of the government was completely in error in an assertion he made that I supported the 16% raise senators are now asking for.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

That is also not a point of order. It is a point of debate.

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to table the voting record taken on December 1, 1998 on Bill C-49 for the record.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

Do we have unanimous consent to table the document?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Lorne Nystrom, NDP, Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I would also ask for unanimous consent to table a memo entitled “Talking points on the spending estimates for the Senate”. This is a memo sent to all Liberal MPs.