House of Commons Hansard #226 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was fund.

Topics

TaxationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. The hon. Minister of Finance, if he wishes to continue.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have not seen a movie since The Full Monty . Surely to heaven it is unparliamentary that the hon. member rises uncovered in his place.

Correctional Service CanadaOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, despite the denials of CSC commissioner Ole Ingstrup, the 50:50 prison quota is still in effect.

Canadians continually hear of prisoners walking away from correctional institutions, being given unescorted bus tickets to freedom and using grappling hooks to scale prison walls. It is obvious that the commissioner will quickly see the release of 50% of all prisoners in Canada.

Will the solicitor general admit that there are growing indicators, including the scathing comments of the auditor general, that CSC is facing a crisis that will put Canadians at risk?

Correctional Service CanadaOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Cardigan P.E.I.

Liberal

Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that my hon. colleague continues to indicate that there are quotas. When public safety is the number one issue there are no quotas, there will be no quotas and there never have been quotas.

Correctional Service CanadaOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, there is evidence to the contrary when it comes to public safety.

Will the solicitor general confirm that he or his colleague, the Minister of Justice, are in receipt of a letter allegedly sent by Tyrone Conn, the inmate who was serving 47 years for armed robbery, who escaped from Kingston Penitentiary last Thursday? In the letter Mr. Conn mocks the liberal penal system, its wardens, its lax security and gun registry.

Will the solicitor general advise whether he is in possession of the letter, its authenticity and the status of Mr. Conn?

Correctional Service CanadaOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Cardigan P.E.I.

Liberal

Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I take this matter very seriously. This is the first escape from Kingston in 41 years. It is a very serious situation.

I can assure my hon. colleague that I am not in possession of any letter and I am sure my hon. colleague, the Minister of Justice, has no letter of recommendation from this gentleman.

ShipbuildingOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Antoine Dubé Bloc Lévis, QC

Mr. Speaker, all those who have operated the shipyard at Lévis in the past, and those who might eventually acquire and operate it in future, are unanimous: the federal shipbuilding industry support measures are inadequate.

Does the Minister of Industry intend to take advantage of the unanimous support of the opposition, the industry, and his own Liberal party faithful, to support my bill, which would finally give the federal government an effective shipbuilding policy?

ShipbuildingOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to meet with leaders of the shipbuilding industry a few weeks ago, at which time they expressed their thanks for the opportunity to meet with me, and congratulated me on my interest in the issues surrounding their industry.

What is really interesting today is to see the Reform Party supporting subsidies for the shipbuilding industry. That is an interesting thing that happened here today.

ShipbuildingOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Antoine Dubé Bloc Lévis, QC

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question is for the Minister of Finance.

Since two of the measures put forward in my bill concern taxation, what is the Minister of Finance waiting for before he finally takes some positive action with respect to shipbuilding, by ceasing to tax the benefits provided by the Government of Quebec and by adopting similar measures at the federal level?

ShipbuildingOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, there are already measures in place, including tax shelters, to support the shipbuilding industry.

During the debates in this House a week ago, it was stated that the very existence of a shipbuilding policy, which consists not only of tax shelters but also of assistance with export sales and a government purchasing policy, is proof that there is a true policy to assist shipbuilding.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Reform

Dick Harris Reform Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, Canada's suppressive tax levels are driving our brightest and best to the U.S., where today they are celebrating tax freedom day.

Major players in the high tech industry are threatening to say goodbye to Canada and our tax crazed finance minister.

While he is sitting on this huge budget surplus, Canadians are labouring under his insatiable tax demands. Why does he not just give some of the taxpayers' money back? Why does he not do it today? Why does he not do the right thing?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, as I have stated, the difference between the two parties is not in the desire to cut taxes, it is in the desire to preserve health care, education and the social fabric of the country. Does the hon. member not agree with that?

The Reform Party has said that it would cut taxes by some $26 billion, but so far it has refused to state, apart from a couple of comments in terms of the elimination of health care spending, what it would do. Will the hon. member in his supplementary stand in the House to tell us where he would get that $26 billion?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Dick Harris Reform Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry to burst the finance minister's bubble but here are the facts. There have been $40 billion in tax increases since 1993 when the Liberals came to power. Disposable family income has dropped by over $4,000 since they came to power. The Canadian personal income tax level is 56% higher than the average of the G-7 countries.

Out of all that he has a huge budget surplus and Canadians are saying that they want some back. Why does he not give Canadians some real tax relief? Give them their money back.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's facts are simply wrong. The government's revenues are up because economic activity is up and there are more people working, over a million and a half. The fact is that personal disposable income growth is up. It is not down. Our national net worth is up. It is not down.

Now that I have answered the hon. member's question, I ask him to answer mine. Where is the Reform Party going to get $26 billion worth of cuts? Why will he not answer the question? What is he afraid of?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. This side asks the questions and that side answers them.

KosovoOral Question Period

May 11th, 1999 / 2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Daniel Turp Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the permanent representative of China to the United Nations said that his country would not approve any security council resolution regarding a peace plan for Kosovo unless NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia stopped.

Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us whether Canada and NATO member countries are rejecting China's condition?

KosovoOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Winnipeg South Centre Manitoba

Liberal

Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I talked with our representatives at the United Nations and there is no substance to many of the reports that the Chinese have said they will not negotiate. In fact, China is now engaged in a series of discussions. The Chancellor of Germany is there on behalf of the G-8. They just finished meeting with a Russian envoy and they are in active discussion with a number of members of the security council, including Canada. To say that they will not negotiate simply is not the case.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Daniel Turp Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is not clear whether or not China wants to participate in the work of the security council.

As a council member, what does Canada intend to do to overcome this new difficulty and ensure that the UN and its security council play a role in finding a solution to the conflict in Kosovo?

KosovoOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Winnipeg South Centre Manitoba

Liberal

Lloyd Axworthy LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, at noon hour I had the opportunity to have a very extensive discussion with Carl Bildt, who is now the UN Secretary General's special envoy for the Balkans. We exchanged a number of views about how we can, most importantly, begin looking at the development of specific detailed implementation plans which can be taken to the security council as quickly as possible. We believe strongly, as the Prime Minister has said, that there must be a security council resolution. We are working with the UN to make that happen and we will continue to work as well with our Chinese colleagues.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Reform

Reed Elley Reform Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC

Mr. Speaker, the government always uses the excuse that it cannot lower taxes because it needs the money to fund our public health care system. Here are the facts. First, it has taken $21.4 billion out of our public health care system. That is how it fixed it. Second, in the U.S. the average taxpayer pays 30% less taxes than Canadians. Third, the U.S. government spends $800 more per person on its public health care system than we do in Canada.

No more excuses. The minister is sitting on a fat budget surplus. When will he give real tax relief to Canadians?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, these are the facts. In the previous parliament the Reform Party said that it wanted to take $3.5 billion out of the health care system.

Fact: Two weeks ago the member for Elk Island said that health care spending was irresponsible.

Fact: The member for Calgary—Nose Hill said that spending on health care was irresponsible.

Fact: The member from Okanagan, who started the whole thing, said that health care spending was questionable.

Let me tell the Reform Party that health care is part of the basic fabric of this country and we will protect the health care system.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Reform

Reed Elley Reform Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC

Mr. Speaker, if the minister really believes that, why did he slash so much out of the health care budget of this country?

In 1997 the Canadian government spent $1,775 per person for public health care expenses. Here is the difference. The United States government spent $2,600 per person to fund its public health care system. Its taxes are lower and it spends more per person on public health care.

When will the government get off its budget surplus and put the Canadian taxpayer back on the road to health?

TaxationOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

LaSalle—Émard Québec

Liberal

Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, those of us who were elected to this House in 1993 will not forget Reform member after Reform member standing and saying “Cut spending. Cut health care spending. Cut the transfers to the provinces. Cut the social fabric to eliminate the deficit”.

The fact is that we eliminated the deficit and we preserved the social fabric of this country.

At the same time as this government was bringing in special tax incentives for the physically disabled and for young children, the Reform Party fought against them. The Reform Party has not had a balanced approach on any issue. It has been scorch and burn all the way. That is why it is at 6% in Ontario.

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Association des collaboratrices et partenaires en affaires released a report showing the negative impact of the act, which automatically excludes from the employment insurance program those workers who are related to their employer.

The Minister of Human Resources Development does not ask himself any questions when he collects contributions, but he imposes a burden of proof and becomes very suspicious when it is his turn to pay benefits that are earned the hard way by workers in many small family businesses.

How far will the Minister of Human Resources Development go in his harassment of the jobless?

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Papineau—Saint-Denis Québec

Liberal

Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I find the rhetoric of the member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques to be excessive, but we are getting used to that in the House.

Let me make it clear that our department is making sure that all those who are entitled to employment insurance are indeed covered. The program's integrity is important to a good manager.

As for referring the claims the member mentioned to Revenue Canada, this it is the case for only one claim out of every 6,000. We can hardly talk harassment, considering that only one out of every 6,000 claims is referred to Revenue Canada.