Debates of March 8th, 1999

Taxation

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the child tax credit in fact does go to families, whether or not both parents are working in the home, or whether or not parents are working outside of the home. The basic point that is raised by the hon. member, which is the responsibility of government to work in partnership in terms of the raising of children and recognizing that burden and that responsibility, is a point which is well taken.

Young Offenders Act

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice will table long awaited changes to the Young Offenders Act this week. From the usual leaks from her department we know much of the content of the bill is before the public and that it will allow some provinces to opt out.

These much overdue changes are but minor progress toward correcting the dangerous trend of youth violence in Canada. All of these changes will have little effect if the law enforcement community does not have the necessary resources to enforce the law.

Will the minister commit to assuming the intended 50% funding responsibility of the federal government for the existing and the new legislation?

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

Mr. Speaker, extensive consultations have been done. All the attorneys general across the country have been consulted. The government will be bringing forward legislation on young offenders very soon.

Prisons

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Of course, that does not come near to answering the question, Mr. Speaker, so I will try another 50% question.

Last week on the subject of 50:50 prison release quotas, the solicitor general stated there are no quotas, there never were any quotas and there never will be any quotas. If this is to be believed, how does the solicitor general explain CSC commissioner Ole Ingstrup's statement that by the year 2000 he would like to see a 50:50 ratio between convicted felons in prison and those on parole? Could he please explain exactly what a 50:50 ratio is if it is not a quota?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Ingstrup wrote an open letter indicating that there were absolutely no quotas. I can assure my hon. colleague that there are no quotas, there never were any quotas and there never will be any quotas. Public safety is always the number one issue and it will continue to be.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, British Columbians are overwhelmingly opposed to the Nisga'a treaty, so much so that this government will not even let them have a vote on the deal.

This government wants to ram the Nisga'a treaty down the throats of British Columbians by rushing it through this House before the B.C. legislature has even had a chance to deal with it.

Why is the government insulting British Columbians by denying them a vote on the Nisga'a deal? Why is it ramming it through this House and down the throats of British Columbians?

[David Iftody, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, the member is wrong. We have a tripartite process with the Nisga'a people, the Government of British Columbia and the Canadian government. We have obligations under that tripartite process to put forward a legal document. It is still in the drafting process. We do not yet have a legal document.

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the member talks about a tripartite agreement. What he fails to mention is that the people of British Columbia are not part of that process. This government is bent on insulting the people of British Columbia.

If the government is so sure that the support for the Nisga'a agreement is there, why is it refusing to have a democratic referendum on this deal? What is wrong with giving this controversial deal the democratic seal of approval?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is a matter for the British Columbia government. However, I do want to inform the House and the public who are watching on television that this bill which the member says is being rammed through the House has not even had first reading yet. We are proceeding with due deliberation. The hon. member should not try to say something which creates the wrong impression.

Employment Insurance

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, women are being heavily penalized by the new employment insurance program, because they need to work twice as long to be eligible for maternity benefits.

Is the Minister of Human Resources Development going to finally come down from his ivory tower and comply with the repeated calls by the Bloc Quebecois to remedy the unacceptable situation in which the new employment insurance program places women?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to draw the attention of this House to the fact that the new employment insurance program has made it possible for women who work part time, whose work weeks are under 15 hours, and who were never before covered, to now be eligible.

I also want to remind the hon. member for Québec of the family income supplement, which we have integrated with our employment insurance reform, and to the 220,000 people who receive that supplement. Two-thirds of those who benefit from this assistance, which is part of the employment insurance reform, are women.

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it might have been worth the minister's while to read the article by Claire Harvey in this past weekend's Le Devoir , which quoted the Minister of Human Resources Development.

With all the projected exclusions in the employment insurance program, does the minister finally intend to make the decision to bring in changes to the program which will change this unacceptable system, which excludes seven out of ten women from benefits?

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

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that women, and men, who lose their jobs or leave them for a good reason are perfectly covered by the employment insurance program. Allow me to repeat the figure once again: 78%.

I also want to point out that our reform has provided retroactivity to women, so that they may benefit from active employment measures, which was not the case in the legislation the Bloc Quebecois wants to go back to.

Retroactivity for women who have been in the home for a number of years is now up to five years, so that they may receive assistance in returning to the work force.

Publishing Industry

[Inky Mark, Reform, Dauphin—Swan River, MB]

Mr. Speaker, today the government called closure for the 49th time, this time on C-55.

At least two Chinese language magazines under foreign ownership are published in Canada: World Journal and Ming Pao magazine. The heritage minister's Bill C-55 will shut down these magazines which are published in Canada.

The heritage minister says that the magazine bill will protect culture. If that is the case, why are Chinese Canadians paying the price?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, first I thank the hon. critic from the Reform Party who last week came out in support of the government's policy on official languages. That was very much respected.

I also want to say that if the member has an opportunity to review the legislation he will note that any magazine that is currently publishing is not touched by the legislation.

[Inky Mark, Reform, Dauphin—Swan River, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-55 will have an immediate effect on foreign owned split runs other than American.

Many Chinese people came to this country seeking freedom, like freedom of speech. Over 100,000 Canadian Chinese will read the World Journal and Ming Pao magazines. Why is the minister willing to sacrifice their readers?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I want to underscore once again and I am speaking in a temperate fashion because I want to measure my words carefully. The member is making certain claims, all of which are completely false. The fact is the legislation made a provision for grandfathering precisely because magazines that are currently publishing here should not have any change to their operation.

Immigration

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the deportation of Nancy Castillo Duran, scheduled for March 11, has mobilized an impressive number of organizations, individuals and elected representatives, all of them calling on the minister to review her decision.

Will the minister admit that there is no valid reason to deport Mrs. Castillo Duran, since both her children were born here, she is legally married, she is a member of Quebec society, she has a job offer and, to put it briefly, she has made her life here for the past 18 years?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve knows full well that the Privacy Act prevents me from commenting publicly on this file.

That having been said, it is very clear that such situations raise questions about the existing system and illustrate the need for a review of the system to make it much more effective. This is something the government is planning for this year. In the meantime, the situation of concern to the member for Hochelaga—Maisonneuve will be reviewed.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear: the system allows the minister to take compassionate action.

Will the minister stand by while a 12 and 13-year old are separated from their mother? We are calling on her today to please take action, because these children need their mother.

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the file is now being reviewed.

Human Rights

[Rahim Jaffer, Reform, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today is International Women's Day. And yet, Leyla Zana, a mother of two and member of parliament in Turkey, will not be celebrating, because she is imprisoned in Turkey for upholding the rights of the Kurds.

Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs defend human rights on the security council so Turkey will free this woman?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I have already raised this particular case directly with my counterpart, the minister of foreign affairs of Turkey. The response was that the case is before the European council and the European Court of Human Rights and is being dealt with according to the rules.

I can assure the hon. member that we will continue to press the Turkish authorities not only to provide for proper justice but to try to find some reconciliation to give the current minority in that country its proper rights.

[Keith Martin, Reform, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the European Union has made it very clear in speaking out against human rights atrocities by the Turks against the Kurds. We cannot wait any longer.

Leyla Zana's crime was to speak her language and have freedom of speech.

Again the question is will the foreign affairs minister take this case to the UN Security Council and demand that all human rights atrocities by the Turks against the Kurds be stopped?

[Lloyd Axworthy, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member properly knows, human rights cases do not go to the security council. Human rights cases go to the UN commission on human rights in Geneva.

We just finished a major consultation this past week where the matter was raised. As I have said, I have raised the matter directly myself to the point where the case is now being heard before the European council on human rights.

I once again emphasize that we believe it is very important in all of our dealings with Turkey that it recognize the need to establish proper human rights for the Kurdish minority.