House of Commons Hansard #214 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was museums.
Lynn Myers Liberal Waterloo—Wellington, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday was Earth Day. We know that if we do not work together to protect our planet many species will reach extinction, the earth's climate will warm up, and the health of humans will be put into jeopardy.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment tell the House what she is doing to make sure that the earth continues to be a healthy place to live for all of us and for the generations to follow?
Paddy Torsney LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, each day the Minister of the Environment and everyone in the government are working hard to protect the environment for Canadians for today and for the future.
This particular week, together with her cabinet colleagues, the minister announced several important initiatives. Canada signed the ozone annex with the United States. We announced 55 recovery projects for endangered species, the most ever announced in one year, and funding was announced for a grassroots campaign, the ABCs of climate change.
All Canadians are invited to join with the Minister of the Environment in celebrating the first ever Clean Air Day Canada on June 2.
John Duncan Reform Vancouver Island North, BC
Mr. Speaker, there is a huge threat to Canadian jobs as a result of renewed protectionist measures by the U.S. to reclassify specialty wood products away from free trade.
There has been no visible political action on this issue. Canadian trade officials have been meeting in Washington since Wednesday, but the government has known about this threat since early March.
How long do concerned forest workers and their families have to wait for the government to act?
Bob Speller LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, these issues are bilateral issues and issues on which we take very great care to consult with not only the industry, not only the provinces involved, but certainly with the workers and those affected by such industries.
The Government of Canada has taken full action on all these different attacks by the American government. I can assure the hon. member and the people of British Columbia, with whom we sympathize with the downturn in the economy there, that the Government of Canada will continue to fight on their behalf.
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to a recent study by Santé Québec, approximately 28,000 people have used the system of shelters for the homeless, and attended soup kitchens and drop-in centres in 1998, and that was just in Montreal. Clearly, the numbers of homeless are unprecedented.
Is the minister prepared to entertain the request from the Réseau d'aide aux personnes seules et itinérantes de Montréal to transfer funds to the provinces so that they can provide social housing with community support, yes or no?
Claudette Bradshaw LiberalMinister of Labour
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to inform the hon. member that I am not the minister for the homeless.
I am the Minister of Labour and the Prime Minister has asked me to examine federal programs with a view to finding solutions to the problems of the homeless.
I also wish to inform the hon. member that I intend to meet with the mayor of Montreal to see exactly what sort of program he would like, and how federal programs can help.
Peter Mancini NDP Sydney—Victoria, NS
Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment when she said what were the achievements of her minister.
It has been almost eight months since the minister came to Sydney, Nova Scotia, to sign a memorandum of understanding to clean up the tar ponds in Cape Breton. Since then and during those eight months not a single thing has been done by the government.
Why was there no specific commitment in the recent Liberal budget to clean up the tar ponds? Why was it not one of the initiatives that the Minister of the Environment announced which were just referred to? When will the government honour its commitment to the people of Cape Breton, to the people of Canada and to the environment?
Paddy Torsney LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, there were several initiatives in the last budget specifically for the environment. We were one of the only departments that got special funds specifically for toxic substances.
With regard to the tar ponds, we are actively negotiating a cost share agreement with the municipal and provincial partners. We are working with a joint action group to identify the solutions and to implement those solutions so the people who live there will have healthier lives.
Gilles Bernier Progressive Conservative Tobique—Mactaquac, NB
Mr. Speaker, we heard the startling revelation yesterday that Canada Post, which already has a massive presence in the courier industry, has just gobbled up what was left of Purolator Courier.
This means that the Government of Canada now owns more than 50% of the courier industry in Canada. Before the government buys out or puts out of business the rest of this industry, will the minister encourage the Competition Bureau to review this further intrusion into the private sector?
Alfonso Gagliano LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, let me inform the hon. member and the House that most international postal organizations have over the past few years acquired courier companies, whether it is in France, in Germany, in England or elsewhere.
Canada Post and Purolator Courier operate in total independence with two different boards of directors. In 1998 the Competition Bureau assessed the situation and said that there was no cross-subsidization. Every year the government requires Canada Post to hire an auditing firm to conduct an audit to certify every year its financial statement. There is no—
Bill Graham Liberal Toronto Centre—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Canada's response to the RCAP report “Gathering Strength” notes that building strong first nations requires good governance practices that are open and accountable.
What progress are the first nations and their partners making on ensuring the implementation of these important principles?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, building accountable and sustainable first nations communities is a priority for the government as it is for first nations themselves.
Of particular note is a two day symposium that will be held next week in Saskatchewan hosted by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations precisely on this topic. There will be officials from the federal and provincial governments there, as well as chiefs and members from first nations communities across the country.
Most interesting is the fact that the auditor general has been invited and I believe he plans to attend. It is this kind of partnership that will allow us to continuously improve accountability in first nations and ensure they have sustainability into the future.
John Reynolds Reform West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask another question of the parliamentary secretary, a very dedicated member and a gentleman I have a lot of faith in. In his last answer he said that these tapes were locked up. I would like to advise him that the lawyers on the case yesterday before the supreme court said “the tapes could potentially crop up again”. That does not treat victims well.
Will the government add one clause to Bill C-79 to put these videotapes under lock and key so we can show the supreme court that parliamentarians care about victims, even if it does not?
Jacques Saada LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I reject outright the statement made on that side of the House that unless we agree with them we do not care about victims. I reject that allegation.
The supreme court has made a decision. I trust the text of that decision more than I trust the hearsay of any lawyer or especially any politician trying to make political gains on something for which I feel sorry.
Ghislain Fournier Bloc Manicouagan, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in order to justify the government's failure to do anything about the troubling issue of air transportation, the minister announced that the Transportation Safety Board was now conducting an investigation into the situation. We checked and found out that the results of this investigation will not be available for at least a year.
My question is for the Minister of Transport. How many planes will have to crash before the minister realizes that his cost-benefit approach to Nav Canada is endangering people's lives?
Stan Dromisky LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I point out to the hon. member and other members of the House of Commons that the ministry of transportation is putting safety factors as a top priority within the department and is investigating all crashes. To date, we have not received any report from the Transportation Safety Board. However. when we receive those reports we will definitely share them with all members of the House of Commons.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to hear members of the Reform Party asking the government to overrule a provincial legislature. These are the same people who portray themselves as defenders of provincial rights.
Will the minister of Indian affairs commit to the House today that the government will not be intimidated by the Reform Party or, for that matter, by the actions of its provincial cousins and bring in the legislation to implement the Nisga'a treaty, live up to the signed commitment that she made on behalf of the people of Canada and see that justice is finally done and soon?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, I take note of the support that the NDP has for the Nisga'a treaty. It understands that it will bring certainty to the lands in British Columbia. It understands that it will bring significant investment not only for the Nisga'a First Nation but for the communities around it. It understands that, through this very historic treaty, 100 years of history, not necessarily good history, can be reconciled.
Together we are welcoming the Nisga'a First Nation into Canada as true and full partners.
Gilles Bernier Progressive Conservative Tobique—Mactaquac, NB
Mr. Speaker, in 1996 the Liberal government's own Canada Post mandate review recommended that for the good of the industry Canada Post should sell off its ownership of Purolator Courier and get out of the courier business.
Why is the Government of Canada involved in an industry that is already well served by the private sector?
Alfonso Gagliano LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, there was a study done and it made lots of recommendations. One of the recommendations was not to close the post office.
Does the member now advocate that we should close the rural post offices so that we can sell Purolator? It is very important for Canada Post to have a commercial mandate so that we can keep our postal system intact in every community.
Canada PostOral Question Period
The Speaker
That would bring to a close our question period today.
While it is not the custom of the Chair to give reasons for decisions taken in question period, I did rule a question out of order today. If memory serves me correctly, I would refer the hon. member for Skeena, who asked me about it via a note, to Beauchesne's fourth edition, 171(y) and Beauchesne's sixth edition, 409(b) for the answer to his question.
Walt Lastewka LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry
Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to seven petitions.
Bill Graham Liberal Toronto Centre—Rosedale, ON
Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 31(4), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association (OSCE) to the meeting of the Parliamentary Association of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held in Paris, France on March 5, 1999.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-499, an act respecting the protection of whistle blowers and to amend the Auditor General Act, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Public Service Staff Relations Act.
Madam Speaker, the bill that I have introduced today deals with whistle blowers protection for public service employees.
Workers in the public sector who may have some knowledge of wrongdoing are often reluctant to come forward for fear of experiencing some discipline from their employer. This bill would protect those who have good reason to believe in good faith that there is some wrongdoing perhaps taking place in their workplace. These employees would be able to feel comfortable in reporting this suspected wrongdoing without any fear of reprisals.
Reports would be made to the auditor general who would then evaluate the merits of the case to see if the complaint had any substance, and also to make sure that the complaint was not made out of malice but made out of good faith so as not to be a nuisance complaint.
The bill would in no way diminish the common law principle of the obligation of loyalty to the employer. In fact, most good employers would welcome having this opportunity to gain inside knowledge of their workplace and, especially as government, real cost savings may be involved.
I would hope to get broad support in the House.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)