Debates of May 14th, 1999

National Child Benefit

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the auditor general has highlighted the importance of ensuring government actions do what they are intended to do.

The social service ministers will be releasing a progress report for the national child benefit in Quebec today. What steps are being taken to ensure that the national child benefit does what it is supposed to do, namely help Canadian families with children?

[Bonnie Brown, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, the national child benefit goals are clear to all of us. They are to reduce and prevent child poverty, to promote attachment to the workforce, and to reduce overlap and duplication.

Today, as the questioner mentioned, the first report of the national child benefit will be tabled in Quebec City. The progress report begins to fulfil the commitment of ministers to report regularly to the Canadian public in an open and transparent way on this important initiative.

It is a concrete demonstration of the commitment of the Government of Canada to the social union framework principles. The progress report will be available to the public.

Grain Transportation

[Jake Hoeppner, Reform, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport is moving forward on the Estey report toward a commercially driven grain handling transportation system.

Apparently not all of his cabinet colleagues share this position. The Canadian Wheat Board has publicly stated that it is opposed to the direction outlined by Justice Estey directly contradicting the Minister of Transport.

Will the government please clarify who the wheat board minister supports, the Canadian Wheat Board or the transport minister?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that the government is very pleased with Justice Estey's vision for a more efficient and reliable grain handling and transportation system, including appropriate safeguards where they are required.

The Minister of Transport appointed Mr. Arthur Kroeger, a very eminent individual, to consult with the stakeholders over the summer of this year on the details of how a more commercial system would work. The chairman will report back to the Minister of Transport by September 30, 1999.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Estey report has every thing to do with farmers' income. The Canadian Wheat Board is set up by federal legislation but it does not represent every farmer.

The Canadian Wheat Board minister is ultimately responsible to farmers for how it fulfils its mandate. The Canadian Wheat Board is obstructing this progress by not going along with improvements to this transportation system. Without the Canadian Wheat Board being on side, Arthur Kroeger has very little chance of success.

What is the agriculture minister going to do to ensure that the Canadian Wheat Board or the Canadian Wheat Board minister do not obstruct badly needed improvements?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member is behind the times. The process that the transport minister put in place was announced two or three days ago. The wheat board has said that it is very willing and very much wants to be a part of that discussion on the Estey report with all others. The wheat board clearly said it wants to be and it will be at the table for those discussions.

Agriculture

[Rick Laliberte, NDP, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the damage from the farm income crisis just gets worse. In my home province there is a suicide watch on farmers. No wonder. They are faced with another wave of disasters: AIDA program qualifications; continued high production costs; low commodity prices; and the lack of a national vision on the whole farm and our food supply. If these issues continue to be unabated we will surely lose a generation of young farmers by mere discouragement.

Will the minister immediately call on this government to declare a royal commission on the state of the family farm in this country?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we began to further address the challenges of putting in place a farm safety net program for Canadian farmers many months ago. Last fall as members know we added the AIDA program to that.

I am pleased to say that in the last few days applications from all of the provinces are coming in at a very good rate. I had a discussion with all of my provincial counterparts yesterday. They said that they are pleased with that, bar none, including the minister of agriculture from Saskatchewan and the minister of agriculture from Manitoba. They say that we will continue on course for 1998 and continue our other discussions—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle.

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

Mr. Speaker, on the issue AIDA, I had a call this morning from a Saskatchewan farmer, Joe Linnell. He told me he had problems with his AIDA forms. He called the minister's office and his staff could not help him with the questions because they were too complicated. They referred him to a 1-800 line in Agriculture Canada which also could not help him.

In light of the fact that the staff could not help and Agriculture Canada could not help, would the minister be prepared to go out to the lobby, pick up a telephone and call Mr. Linnell now at the following number: 306-697-2913? Mr. Linnell is watching question period. He is waiting for his phone to ring. Will the minister go out now and telephone him immediately? There is time before noon.

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I do not have enough money in my department for staff to personally help the farmers fill out their forms. I do know there are lots of qualified people out there. I would suggest that the farmer speak to his accountant. Every farmer has an accountant. The expertise is there. If they are enrolled in NISA, it is a very simple process to move the numbers over.

Health Care

[Charlie Power, Progressive Conservative, St. John's West, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the health care system in Newfoundland and Labrador is in crisis.

Does the Minister of Health realize that there is a crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador? If he does realize it, does he have one single idea of how to correct this situation?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, there are tens of millions of reasons why Newfoundland is in a better position today than it was three months ago to deal with those health issues.

In the budget in mid-February we increased the transfers to the provinces over the coming five years by $11.5 billion. We did that on a per capita basis and Newfoundland will get its per capita share.

I know that throughout the country provincial ministers of health face real challenges in delivering quality services with an aging population and increased costs. All health ministers are working together now with additional money provided by our budget to help meet those needs on the ground.

[Charlie Power, Progressive Conservative, St. John's West, NL]

Mr. Speaker, it is a good speech. We have heard it many times. Even if every single Newfoundlander agreed with every single word the minister said, the reality is that we have a crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The minister has said many times that nurses are the heart of the health care system. In Newfoundland because we have a significant shortage of nurses, we also have a significant crisis in health care.

As we might say in Newfoundland, does the minister have even the foggiest idea of how to correct this situation?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it is my full time job to come to grips with exactly that kind of issue.

Let us be clear. The provincial governments are responsible for delivering health services. The federal government transfers money to assist them to do that.

What I am telling the hon. member is that I have a very good idea of the challenges faced by Joan Marie Aylward. She is doing a tremendous job facing those difficulties in Newfoundland.

We have increased the transfers to the provinces very substantially over the coming five years with stable and higher levels of funding. We will be there to help and to work with provincial ministers, including in Newfoundland, but ultimately the province must deliver those services.

Persons With Disabilities

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Western Economic Diversification.

The government is committed to economic opportunities in western Canada. Can the secretary of state tell the House what the government is doing in western Canada to provide business and entrepreneurial opportunities for disabled Canadians?

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Secretary of State (Science]

Mr. Speaker, in western rural Canada through the community futures development corporations, the Government of Canada has provided $6.5 million in loans. This has resulted in 319 loans and roughly 650 jobs.

With respect to the urban areas, we are in the cities of Edmonton and Calgary and the cities of Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg with similar kinds of programs. We are looking to grow into other cities because these programs have worked. The Government of Canada is vitally interested in providing the correct tools so that disabled Canadians can be—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Calgary East.

Immigration

[Deepak Obhrai, Reform, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the right of landing fee is a discriminatory head tax which penalizes genuine refugees seeking protection in Canada. It is ludicrous to offer them financial assistance through resettlement on the one hand and then force them to go into debt in order to pay this head tax on the other. On October 7, 1997, I introduced a private member's bill calling for the elimination of the right of landing fee.

Canadians are compassionate and tolerant people. Why can this government not learn from its citizens, show a bit of compassion and eliminate this head tax for refugees?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that after 10 years of existence the Reform Party has finally discovered compassion.

This government has been and continues to be a government of compassion. We are certainly showing that by the way we are receiving along with all Canadians the refugees from Kosovo. We are opening our country to them. They are not paying any taxes to come into the country as refugees. If they do not want to return to their homes and they want to stay here, we have laws in place to deal with that. If there are changes required, I am sure the government will consider those changes.

Mirabel Airport

[Paul Mercier, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Government of Quebec tabled a bill making Mirabel a tax free zone. In the meantime, the government opposite does nothing. But we know that the Minister of National Revenue has all kinds of spare time now that his department has been privatized and turned into an agency.

My question is for the Minister of National Revenue. It would seem that the minister is studying the question, but what is he waiting for to take action and do something concrete to help Mirabel out of the mess his government has landed it in over the last 30 years?

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, we have had royal assent on the revenue agency bill. It will make sure we get rid of overlap and duplication. The members on the Bloc side bring up quite often their wish to get rid of overlap and duplication.

A recent poll showed that more Quebeckers would rather have Revenue Canada collect their taxes than Revenue Quebec. I think they should be working toward reducing overlap and duplication by signing on to the agency so they have a single window tax collection system that would reduce compliance costs and save Canadians millions of dollars.

Pensions

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all pensioners of the public service, the military and the RCMP, I want the government to clarify something. If working people have no right to the $30 billion surplus in their own pension, why does the pensions benefit act require a two-thirds majority vote by all plan members on the use of any surplus in any other pension plan in the federal sector? Why does the government not see fit to live up to the same standards it imposes on everybody else?

I want the government to tell pensioners once and for all how their retirement pension fund surplus became the government's latest cash cow.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board has made it clear on a number of occasions here in the House and elsewhere that these pension plans are created by statute. They have their own particular characteristics. The steps proposed by the government are entirely consistent with the nature of those pension plans and entirely fair to the members.

Agriculture

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

Mr. Speaker, the federal deputy minister of agriculture was in Nova Scotia on Monday for a press conference with the premier to announce that Nova Scotia was finally joining the federal farm aid deal.

Everybody was led to believe that Nova Scotia was receiving $7.5 million in new federal dollars for farmers. The provincial minister said it was this guarantee of $7.5 million which eventually convinced him to sign Nova Scotia on to the federal deal.

Why did the minister of agriculture lead Nova Scotia farmers to believe that they would receive $7.5 million in federal aid when in fact the actual figure is $3 million less?