Debates of April 27th, 1999

Air Safety

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

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

Eleven years ago Transport Canada officials determined that the Kelowna air traffic control tower did not meet minimum safety standards because the air traffic controllers cannot see the runway and cannot see the taxiway. A temporary permit was issued to allow the tower to continue to operate on the condition that a new tower be constructed. Eleven years later, there is no new tower. Will the minister instruct that a new tower be built?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, Nav Canada is responsible for air navigation in the country and for assessing the appropriate regime that should be used in the present circumstances.

On the particular question, I will get back to the hon. member after researching the issue.

I want to underscore the fact that Transport Canada is absolutely adamant that safety especially in our skies is our top priority.

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, if safety is the number one priority, let me read from the Transport Canada report on Kelowna which states: “Due to the location and/or height of the control tower, portions of the runway and taxiways are not visible. The problem is becoming even more serious. The margin of safety has been jeopardized. Visibility has been identified as a major safety concern”.

That is from a Department of Transport report and I believe it speaks for itself. We should have a new tower in Kelowna immediately.

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly heard the hon. member's representations.

Kosovo

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Canadians collectively share a concern for the plight of refugees from Kosovo. The minister will also know that many members of parliament have been approached by constituents who have family members in the area.

Will the minister please advise the House about the government's efforts to assist the refugees from Kosovo, particularly those with family members already in Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, I must say we are making all the efforts we can to facilitate family reunification. Today under our special program, the fast track process for family reunification, we have received more than 120 applications from Canadians who have relatives over there and it could include 700 people.

I am pleased to say to the member that the first refugees from Kosovo will arrive today. I am sure that Canadians will welcome them as members of our family.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, three years ago the federal government invoked a moratorium on gravel extraction on the Fraser River in order to protect salmon stocks. During the past week the Cheam Indian Band has been busy removing 100,000 tonnes of gravel from the Fraser River without a permit and in a restricted area.

Yesterday the minister of Indian affairs struggled to her feet and what she should have said was that she did not have a clue what was going on. Instead she said that aboriginals should have access to the gravel because it was an inherent right.

Why does the minister support the double standard? One set of strict stringent guidelines for everyone who uses the river and another special set of guidelines that seems to only apply to aboriginals.

[The Speaker]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

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

Mr. Speaker, maybe if the member had not spoken in such a gravelly voice yesterday we would have understood him more clearly.

On this particular issue we are trying to work with the band in a non-confrontational manner. We are investigating the matter of the gravel. If charges should be laid, they will be laid. It is under investigation.

Young Offenders

[Michel Bellehumeur, Bloc, Berthier—Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on April 23, the supreme court ruled the following in the Gladue judgment, and I quote “In recent years, compared to other countries, sentences of imprisonment in Canada have increased at an alarming rate”.

Will the Minister of Justice admit that, by imposing harsher penalties, her young offenders bill ignores not only the large consensus in Quebec, but also the opinion of the supreme court itself?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, indeed not. In fact, as the hon. member knows, our youth justice strategy is an integrated and balanced strategy that acknowledges the fact that this country incarcerates too many young people. Our strategy, when implemented, will ensure that fewer young people are incarcerated needlessly in this country.

Pensions

[Bev Desjarlais, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in 1995 the Liberal government used the turbot war with Spain as a smokescreen for the devastating changes to EI. These changes have made it possible for the Liberal government to rip off $26 billion from Canadian workers. Now the Liberal government is using the war in Kosovo as a smokescreen for the $30 billion rip-off of pensioners.

Canadians whose pensions are affected by Bill C-78 deserve to have their voices heard. Will the President of the Treasury Board agree to have cross-country consultations, or is the Liberal government intent on ramming this bill through parliament while the war in Kosovo still provides a convenient cover?

[Marcel Massé, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, once again, this question has been debated for months and months. It has been known. We have discussed it with the unions. We have been at the same table. They have all the information.

In this case the question is very clear. The civil servants have been given all the benefits that are in the law. None of them have been taken away from them. The government continues to guarantee them by law. The surplus, once again, has been paid for by the taxpayers. It belongs to the taxpayers. It should be returned to the taxpayers.

Devco

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

Mr. Speaker, Devco miners have been exposed to coal dust and gases that have caused serious health side effects and led to many miners being unable to pass medical examinations. Cape Breton has one of the highest rates of cancer in Canada. Now the government is closing the Devco mines leaving miners without medical plan benefits.

What is the Minister of Natural Resources doing to help the miners and their families who are going to be without much needed health insurance?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, as I have listed on a number of occasions in the House, the government through a variety of means has put together a package that totals something in the order of $550 million to address a variety of issues in relation to Devco.

We understand very clearly that this is a very difficult circumstance for the people in Cape Breton. We are pursuing all possible means to ease those circumstances.

If there are some specific proposals that are worthy of consideration in respect of the continuation of medical benefits, I would be very interested in hearing the details of any proposal. I will do my best—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Scarborough Centre.

Kosovo

[John Cannis, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, over 600,000 Kosovars have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Half of these people are under the age of 18. As many as 400,000 more Kosovars are internally displaced with no access to international relief.

Can the Minister for International Cooperation update the House as to the humanitarian situation and tell us how their needs are being addressed?

[Diane Marleau, Liberal, Minister for International Cooperation and Minister responsible for Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, international and Canadian relief agencies are doing excellent work under very difficult conditions.

Immunization programs are in place. There are enough food supplies for the next two weeks with more food on its way. Better still, the International Red Cross has been able to gain access to Kosovo to witness conditions there. We are very hopeful that soon they will be able to commence some relief operations for the internally displaced in Yugoslavia.

Hockey

[John Nunziata, Independent, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government is being asked to provide financial assistance to National Hockey League teams.

The major contributing factor to the financial difficulties of some NHL teams are players' salaries. The average NHL salary has gone from $250,000 to $1,250,000 in the last seven years.

Will the government give its assurance that NHL teams will not be given subsidies or preferential tax treatment? Will the minister not agree that the government has no business subsidizing wealthy professional hockey players?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I met earlier today with representatives of a number of Canadian cities that are homes to professional hockey league teams. I am happy to say to the member that nobody asked for subsidies for professional hockey players. There was a lot of concern expressed about the value that mayors in particular perceived there to be for their communities to have a team present. Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Montreal were represented.

I have agreed that I will continue to meet with representatives of the appropriate stakeholders in order to consider what can be done to ensure we do not lose all our hockey teams.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of Indian affairs knows that aboriginal women do not enjoy the same rights as ordinary Canadian women across the country. She knows that in the event of a marital breakdown, most often it is the aboriginal woman who is out of the house and on the street, and often with the children.

Why is it that the minister and the government negotiated a treaty with the Nisga'a that does nothing to address this problem and makes it out of reach that this could ever be entrenched as rights for aboriginal women in the future?

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

Mr. Speaker, what I know is that as a result of talking with aboriginal women, in Bill C-49 we have actually taken steps to ensure that land codes will include the reflection of matrimonial property for women in those 14 first nations.

Under the Indian Act now we talk about communal properties and there are no opportunities for aboriginal women. We have identified and want to have a fact finder to help us deal with the issue of matrimonial property. I expect to receive input from that fact finder and make continued progress in this regard.

Human Cloning

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the news this morning that Quebec researchers have succeeded in cloning three goats stresses the urgent need to settle the issue of human cloning. Canada only has a moratorium on human cloning, while the European Union officially took position against that practice.

My question is for the Minister of Health. Will the minister pledge to pass Bill C-247, which makes human cloning a criminal offence, before the end of the session?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, we imposed a voluntary moratorium on this practice. That moratorium remains in effect.

We must of course do more. I have already begun consulting experts, including the chairperson of the royal commission that dealt with this issue.

It is my intention to table a bill on this issue later this year.

Canada Pension Plan

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

Mr. Speaker, my question concerns the Canada pension plan.

The government is aware that there are about 100 firefighters in the hallways this week lobbying. I think the government understands as well that this is the most dangerous occupation in the country.

The firefighters are requesting that they be able to qualify for reduced CPP benefits at age 55, with full benefits at age 60, rather than the current ages of 60 and 65.

Would the Minister of Human Resources Development agree to propose an amendment to the Canada pension plan so that firefighters can receive those benefits at an earlier age because of their dangerous occupation and do so without financial loss?