House of Commons Hansard #216 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was nato.
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, there is a very substantial difference between having a set of principles on which you do not compromise and looking for the means of achieving those principles in which you can accommodate and compromise. We on this side of the House are not used to compromising our principles. Maybe the hon. member is, but not us.
Bob Mills Reform Red Deer, AB
Mr. Speaker, we keep hearing this doublespeak about what they mean by embargoes and what they mean by all of these things. The bottom line is that we are asking the Russians to give us a hand in finding a peace settlement for Kosovo. The question is obvious. What are we offering to the Russians? What sort of hand are we offering when we are not prepared to break from these terms? How can we possibly negotiate?
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, in the statement given by the Prime Minister this morning he pointed out one very major initiative that Canada helped to create. We proposed that the international force that would implement the agreement would not have to be just a NATO force, that it could be broader than that. I think that was accepted by NATO members at the summit. That was one of the major areas of disagreement in previous negotiations with Russian emissaries.
That is one good example around which we can discuss establishing an international force that would implement the agreement and would have with it the—
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, last September 18, the federal government announced the injection of $300 million into a new program aimed at helping the provinces meet the costs of health care for all victims of tainted blood.
Since Quebec already has a similar program, which provides care to all tainted blood victims, does the minister intend to pay Quebec its fair share of the federal funds on a per capita basis, that is $75 million?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, we have already offered Quebec its share of this funding to ensure the availability of medical services for those infected with hepatitis C.
I have already sent documentation concerning this proposal to my colleague, the Quebec Minister of Health, Mrs. Marois. I await her response.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, in the 1996 throne speech, the government made the commitment that it would not put into place any new cost-shared programs with the provinces or, if it did, there would be a right to opt out with full compensation.
In the case of this program for assistance to tainted blood victims, will the government finally respect its own commitment from 1996?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is, unfortunately, mistaken. This proposal is not affected by the commitment she refers to. The commitment is not pertinent to this program.
What we proposed is merely an approach that will ensure that people infected with hepatitis C can have access to the required medical services now and in the future.
I have proposed a certain approach to Mrs. Marois, and I await her response.
Eric C. Lowther Reform Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, it was presented today. Over 100,000 Canadians signed it, the largest petition of this parliament. The petition calls for the strong enforcement of Canadian law against child pornography.
For three months child pornography has poured into B.C. and court cases are on hold. What is the government's answer to the 100,000 Canadian petitioners who want children to be protected from pornographers now; not a day from now, not a month from now, but now?
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, the answer is loud and clear. It is too bad that members of the Reform Party do not stop their scaremongering in terms of this issue and act a little more responsibly.
Our position on child pornography and the constitutionality of the section in question is clear. The hon. member should read our factum. This matter is before the courts now. We believe the law to be constitutional and we, along with the attorney general of British Columbia, are defending that law.
Eric C. Lowther Reform Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, the government had an opportunity to uphold Canadian law three months ago. One hundred thousand names on this petition have been gathered in three short weeks, compared to three months of inaction. The petitioners are calling on the government to answer this question today: When are you going to fix this? The petitioners want it fixed now.
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, this party, this government, has respect for the rule of law. We along with attorneys general in provinces such as British Columbia and Alberta understand that the correct approach is to defend the existing law, which we believe to be constitutional.
JusticeOral Question Period
The Speaker
I ask all hon. members to please address the Chair in their questions and answers.
Caroline St-Hilaire Bloc Longueuil, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister took part in the tribute to the great Maurice Richard and praised his huge contribution to hockey in Canada.
In the meantime, Hockey Canada has treated trainer Danièle Sauvageau in a very particular and unfair manner.
My question is for the Prime Minister. Does the Prime Minister intend to ask Hockey Canada why it gave trainer Danièle Sauvageau such discriminatory treatment?
Mauril Bélanger LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, the government honoured its commitment to amateur sport by increasing the budget for it by $10 million annually. Part of the budget was for improved training for trainers.
From that to saying that the government must get involved and go as far as to choose the trainers, as suggested by the opposition, there is a step we are not prepared to take. It is not up to the government to meddle in the internal administration of national teams.
Sheila Finestone Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade tabled a report in the House on issues relating to nuclear disarmament, including a representation that Canada urge NATO to review the strategic concept for NATO.
Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell the House what steps Canada undertook to review the strategic concept for NATO at the summit this past weekend?
Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Mount Royal for her question. With the attention being paid to Kosovo, a very important statement coming out of the summit was overlooked. The NATO leaders made the commitment that arms control and disarmament is a vital part of maintaining NATO security. The communiqué issued clear instructions that there would be a review of the nuclear policy for NATO and we have asked our ambassador to start preparing recommendations in that regard. That was an initiative which Canada supported.
I want to thank all members of the committee who helped to bring about that very important initiative.
Chuck Cadman Reform Surrey North, BC
Mr. Speaker, just how far does the Young Offenders Act go in protecting identities? Last Friday in Vancouver Paul Glover was awarded civil damages against two men who assaulted him when they were teenagers. The media will not name them, fearing repercussions under the Young Offenders Act.
Will the Minister of Justice please clear the air? Does the Young Offenders Act apply to civil proceedings and can we expect the same from the new youth criminal justice act?
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I have no intention of commenting on matters that may continue to be before the court.
Chuck Cadman Reform Surrey North, BC
Mr. Speaker, Paul Glover at no time raised the issue of criminal proceedings. The young men raised it themselves in an attempt to escape civil liability. The minister knows that civil court is the only place where victims can seek redress for pain and suffering.
I ask the minister again: Does the Young Offenders Act apply to the civil courts? And there is no appeal pending.
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I am not going to comment on the specifics of this case. I would be more than happy to discuss this particular case in private with the hon. member.
Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-78, the pensions bill, is complex and has profound precedent setting implications, yet the government moved closure after only four hours of debate. Some 670,000 Canadians will be affected directly, and many more indirectly, by this legislation.
Will the President of the Treasury Board assure the House today that he will approve extended committee hearings across the country? Will he allow those affected to voice their concerns, even if their elected representatives here in the House of Commons will be denied that opportunity?
Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, those affected have been expressing their concerns for at least a year. We have been negotiating in particular the issue of joint management of the pension plans with them. The employee representatives have been quite aware of the issues for months and months. We have discussed with them. We have laid out the issues in front of them.
I think what we have in Bill C-78 is something that is in the interests of public servants and in the interests of taxpayers.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board has insisted ad nauseam that he has the right to take the $30 billion pension surplus because the government has paid the shortfall of about $13 billion over the years. If the plan owes the government $13 billion, where does he get off taking $30 billion to pay for that? I could get better terms from a Las Vegas loan shark. I probably could get better terms from my Bank of Montreal MasterCard.
Why will the Minister not take his $13 billion and leave the rest where it belongs to provide pension benefits for deserving retirees?
Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-78 guarantees to public servants and continues to guarantee to them all the benefits they have been guaranteed before. None of these benefits are affected except that the number of benefits are increased.
In the past, public servants have had absolutely no responsibility for the funding of the plan. It is the taxpayers who have taken all the risks. It is the taxpayers who have funded all the deficits. It follows that it is the taxpayers who deserve the surplus.