Debates of April 14th, 1999

Team Canada Inc.

[Sergio Marchi, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(1) it is my honour to table before the House, in both official languages, the 1998-99 Team Canada Inc. achievement report. As members will know Team Canada Inc. involves over 20 departments and agencies of the Government of Canada, each touching in some way the aspect of international trade.

Columbia River Treaty Permanent Engineering Board

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I am pleased to table in both official languages the annual report of the Columbia River Treaty Permanent Engineering Board to the Government of Canada and to the Government of the United States for the year ending September 30, 1996.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 14 petitions.

I wonder if there would be unanimous consent to return to presenting reports from committees.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is there consent to revert to presenting reports from committees?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Committees Of The House

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 66th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in relation to its orders of reference from the House dated Wednesday, February 17, 1999 and Thursday, February 18, 1999 in relation to the matter of the molestation of the member for Saskatoon—Humboldt and in relation to picket lines established to impede access to the precincts of parliament.

After hearing the testimony of several witnesses and considering all the evidence, the committee has concluded that there was no deliberate intention to contravene parliamentary privilege in this case. Any contempt of parliament was technical and unintended.

The committee has also included observations and recommendations to avoid similar situations occurring in the future.

I also have the honour to present the 67th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

If the House gives its consent, I move that the 67th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to)

Petitions

[Guy St-Julien, Liberal, Abitibi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I would like to table a petition from the Inuit community of Puvirnituk, in Nunavik.

The petitioners state that there have been no housing starts by either federal or provincial governments in Nunavik in the past three years. At the present time, there are 16 to 20 people in three bedroom dwellings.

The Inuit find the housing conditions at Nunavik extremely distressing. They consider the situation totally intolerable. It contributes to the high incidence of tuberculosis, infectious diseases and social problems.

The federal government must assume its obligations under the James Bay and Northern Quebec agreement as far as housing is concerned. At the end of October 1998, there was a shortage of 425 houses in Nunavik.

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to present a petition from the constituents of Kelowna who ask that the Prime Minister and the Parliament of Canada declare and confirm immediately: first, that Canada is indivisible; and second, that the boundaries of Canada, its provinces, territories and territorial waters, may be modified only by a free vote of all Canadian citizens as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or through the amending formula as stipulated in the Canadian Constitution.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present another petition from citizens of Peterborough and other parts of Ontario who believe that the Government of Canada can deal more effectively with the more than 18,000 Canadian citizens who suffer from end stage kidney disease.

They point out that facilities for kidney dialysis, which is very important, and programs for organ transplantation are in place but are ineffective.

Therefore, they call upon parliament to support research for the bioartificial kidney, which will eventually eliminate the need for both dialysis and transplantation for those suffering from kidney disease.

The petitioners and others were pleased to hear that donations to the University of Michigan, which is one of the few sites where bioartificial kidney research is going on, made by Canadians are tax deductible.

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition from the constituents of Kings—Hants, a group of whom are opposed to the NATO bombing in Serbia and who are seeking the cessation of Canada's participation in the NATO exercise.

[Rose-Marie Ur, Liberal, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am honoured to present a petition signed by residents of the Grand Bend, London and Dashwood areas who urge parliament to ban the gas additive MMT. They note that studies under way at the University of Quebec are showing adverse health effects, especially on children and seniors, and that car manufacturers oppose the use of MMT.

[Howard Hilstrom, Reform, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of the citizens of my riding of Selkirk—Interlake who note that the Government of Canada has yet to comply with article 11 of the Canadian Human Rights Act which pertains to the rights of workers to equal pay for work of equal value.

The petitioners say that to this date the government has not complied with the tribunal order and they therefore petition parliament to instruct the government to immediately comply with the orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in the matter of pay equity.

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will be presenting three petitions on behalf of the Minister of Justice.

The first petition calls upon parliament to enact legislation to amend the Criminal Code to provide increased penalties for serious cases of animal abuse and to make illegal the practice of inhumane euthanasia for companion animals.

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with pay equity.

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition concerns pornography.

[Wendy Lill, NDP, Dartmouth, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of over 100 Canadians. The recent commercial television and radio decision of the copyright board retroactively reduced the royalties of Canadian music creators and adopted the American practice of forcing individual music composers to negotiate directly with large broadcasting corporations. By adopting the American scheme the copyright board has failed to respect parliament's longstanding commitment to the collective administration of the copyright of Canadian creators.

The petitioners request that parliament strongly reaffirm this commitment and that the Minister of Industry immediately appoint a judge to chair the copyright board and respect parliament's intent that the board be a competent and objective quasi-judicial tribunal.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions, both of which are signed by a number of Canadians, including those in my own riding of Mississauga South.

The first petition is on the subject of human rights. The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that human rights abuses continue to be rampant around the world in countries such as Indonesia and Kosovo. The petitioners also point out that Canada continues to be internationally recognized as a champion of human rights.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon Canada to continue to speak out strongly against human rights abuses and also to seek to bring to justice those responsible for such abuses.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to present for the 158th time in my career as a parliamentarian a petition dealing with the family, which is my favourite petition.

The petitioners would like to draw to the attention of the House that managing the family home and caring for preschool children is an honourable profession which has not been recognized for its contribution to our society and that the Income Tax Act discriminates against families who choose to provide direct parental care to preschool children.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon parliament and all parliamentarians to support initiatives to ensure fairness and equity for all families who choose to provide care in the home for preschool children.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Kamloops, Chase, Clearwater, Barriere and Savona, who point out a number of concerns they have regarding a recent United States customs announcement which will put in place additional barriers to the export of Canadian softwood lumber to the United States.

The petitioners ask the federal government to take whatever action is necessary to bring to an end this continuing harassment of Canadian producers.

Questions On The Order Paper

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 128 and 205. .[Text]

Question No. 128—

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

For Canada Ports Corporation, would the government provide the following for each fiscal year from 1993-94 to 1996-97: ( a ) the number of people on the board of directors; ( b ) how each director was remunerated; ( c ) the total remuneration for each director; ( d ) the total number of employees; and ( e ) the average and median salary for all employees?

[Stan Dromisky, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport]

(a) Board membership in 1993: 15-17 members; 1994: 13-16 members; 1995: 14 members; 1996: 10-11 members; and 1997: 10-11 members

Section 12(1) of the Canada Ports Corporation Act stipulates that the board of directors consists of a chairman, vice-chairman and not less than 8 or more than 14 other directors. Variances in board membership are a result of vacancies not immediately filled by the minister with the approval of the governor in council.

(b) Pursuant to subsection 3.14(8) of the Canada Ports Corporation Act, directors, including the chairman and vice-chairman, are remunerated as follows: $150-300 per diem for attendance at meetings of the board or committees of the board; $150-300 per diem for loss of income when travelling for the corporation's business; $150-300 per diem when with the authorization or approval of the board a director engages in work for the corporation; reasonable expenses incurred in the course of duties in the city in which they are based; reasonable travel and living expenses incurred while absent from ordinary place of residence in the course of duties; and a salary in the range of $119,900 to $141,100 is paid to the president.

People on the Board of Directors are remunerated as follows: the chairman-annual retainer, $30,000-$35,000; the vice-chairman-annual retainer, $17,000-$20,000; and an annual retainer of $2,600-$3,500 paid to all directors.

(c) In accordance with the Privacy Act, only general statistical information on the total remuneration for all directors can be provided, instead of for individual directors:

Year—Honoraria—Per Diem—Total

1993—$91,000—$188,000—$279,000 1994—$89,800—$167,000—$256,800 1995—$68,700—$128,300—$197,000 1996—$42,800—$81,800—$124,600 1997—$51,000—$58,100—$109,100

Note: The Canada Ports Corporation directly administered national office and seven divisional ports during the period 1993 to 1997.

(d) total nomber of exempt, union, and non-exempt, non-union, employees at National office and seven divisional ports:

1993: 183 employees 1994: 185 employees 1995: 154 employees 1996: 109 employees 1997: 102 employees

(e) Average and median salary for all exempt and non-exempt employees at national office and seven divisional ports:

—Average—Median

1993: $53,503—$75,986 1994: $51,717—$75,986 1995: $54,804—$73,648 1996: $55,777—$74,842 1997: $49,517—$77,007

Question No. 205—

[Jason Kenney, Reform, Calgary Southeast, AB]

For the years 1994-97 inclusive how many residents of Manitoba had confidential taxpayer information disclosed by the Department of National Revenue to the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation or any other Manitoba agencies and departments without their written consent through release form T1013?

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

T1013 is the form which authorizes accountants and tax preparers, acting on behalf of clients, to provide consent for the release of relevant taxpayer information. Therefore, it would not be applicalbe in the release of taxpayer information to the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation, MPIC. Such information can only be released to MPIC when the taxpayer has signed and approved consent form which provides a clear statement that the Department of National Revenue may release information to MPIC.

Following a complaint received from a taxpayer in November 1997 regarding the release of information to MPIC, the Department of National Revenue reviewed the consent form being used by MPIC to obtain authorization to request taxpayer information relevant to the processing of claims. As a result of the department's review, the form was modified to meet current standards to ensure that there is no ambiguity about the release of information the client is authorizing.

A complaint was also filed with the Winnipeg city police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that investigated this matter. Both law enforcement agencies found that there was no criminal intent and that charges were not warranted.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.