Debates of May 25th, 1999

Conestoga College Awards

[Andrew Telegdi, Liberal, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate this year's winners of the Conestoga College awards.

Andrea Bohoczki of Waterloo, a nursing student, was the winner of the Dr. Stanley F. Leavine memorial award which recognizes achievement in clinical practice, academic excellence and demonstration of personal and professional development.

The top winner in the broadcasting, radio and television program was Sarah Sherbourne of Waterloo. Sarah won or shared four of the 16 awards given out: the Q97.5FM telemedia award for broadcast management; the Betty Thompson broadcaster of the year award; the Christopher Allen Rawnsley—Sony of Canada award; and she shared the K.A. MacKenzie memorial award.

Carla Donnell of Kitchener won the CHYM announcing award.

Brian Gillespie also of Kitchener won the Pat Fitzgerald award from the staff of CKCO-TV.

Congratulations to Andrea, Sarah, Carla and Brian and to all winners of the 1998-99 Conestoga College awards.

The Late Hugh Hanrahan

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Hugh Hanrahan, former MP for Edmonton—Strathcona who served here from 1993 to 1997. He passed away in Edmonton on Wednesday, May 19.

Hugh grew up in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, one of five boys in the family. He obtained his bachelor of arts degree and bachelor of education degree from Saint Francis Xavier University and his master's in education from the University of Ottawa.

He moved to Calgary for his first teaching job but settled in Edmonton soon after. He taught with Edmonton Catholic schools for 20 years.

He was awarded a teacher of the year award for his devotion to increasing high school students' knowledge of economics.

In 1997 Hugh's health prevented him from running for a second term in office so he returned to teaching, what he was most comfortable with.

Hugh also had a great pride in his Irish and Scottish roots. He especially enjoyed spending summers in Nova Scotia with his family because he loved the seaside.

Hugh is survived by his wife Dianne, daughter Margaret Anne and four brothers. We would like the family to know that all of us are thinking of them.

Task Force On Four Western Provinces

[John Harvard, Liberal, Charleswood—Assiniboine, MB]

Mr. Speaker, while most MPs spent the last week in their constituencies, members of the Prime Minister's task force on the four western provinces spent three very informative days listening to the concerns and priorities of British Columbians.

The response to our meetings was overwhelming. The task force held meetings in five centres across the province and met with well over 70 groups, organizations and individuals representing a wide cross-section of British Columbian society.

This task force was established to complement the work of our western caucus and provide western Canadians with another opportunity to shape the national agenda as the government nears the middle of its second mandate.

The response we had throughout B.C. last week and throughout Manitoba last month once again shows that western Canadians welcome opportunities to meet with and discuss public policy issues with MPs from across the country.

On behalf of the task force members, I would like to thank all those who took the time to meet with us in British Columbia and all those who made written submissions to the task force.

Missing Children

[Bev Desjarlais, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, today is National Missing Children's Day.

Four out of five missing children are runaways. Most are running away from abusive situations.

The Liberal government has abandoned these children. They have abandoned social housing and cut funding for youth drop-in centres and shelters for abused children. Programs like these identify and help troubled youth. Their loss leaves youth with nowhere to turn. It is no wonder so many are ending up on the streets. The lucky ones might end up begging for change or squeegeeing car windows. The unlucky ones fall victim to drugs or prostitution.

In 1989 the House unanimously approved an NDP motion calling on the federal government to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000. The Liberal government voted in favour of this motion while in opposition, but in government the Liberals have made the problem worse. Children are their helpless victims.

The RCMP is working hard to find missing children but it is up to the federal government to attack the problem at its source. It is time for a government that cares about children.

Quebec Trade Mission To Mexico

[Maud Debien, Bloc, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Quebec Premier's trade mission to Mexico led to the signing of 24 agreements totaling $66 million and creating some 500 new jobs. This collective effort is proof that there are undeniable economic, political and cultural ties with Mexico.

The collaboration of the federal government ought to have been a given. We would have liked to have seen the federal government not making a spectacle of itself in the eyes of the Mexicans by refusing to organize a meeting between the Mexican President and Mr. Bouchard. We would have preferred not to have had to read an editorial in the major Mexican newspaper Universal that the Prime Minister of Canada had been wrong.

This episode has done nothing to prevent the trade mission from paving the way to a new and unprecedented openness between Quebec and the Americas. As the decade of the Americas gains momentum, Quebec has created a dynamic aimed at building a closer relationship with the countries of Latin America.

Henceforth, and forever more, Quebec will continue to open itself up to the world, regardless of the federal government's rigidity.

Julie Payette

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the countdown has now begun for Quebecer Julie Payette, a member of the Discovery shuttle team, which is set to take off on Thursday, around 6.48 a.m.

As Julie said herself, her mission is the fulfillment of a lifelong goal.

Julie, allow us to share in your success. Your mission is a result of team effort. Many members of that team have dedicated a good part of their lives to acquiring the knowledge and experience necessary to make this important mission a success.

We will be watching you on Thursday, Julie. We are proud of you. We are proud of this mission that you will carry out brilliantly and professionally, on behalf of Canada and Quebec.

Good luck Julie, and thank you for representing us so proudly.

Ottawa 67's

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on May 23, last Sunday afternoon, the Ottawa 67's brought great honour and pride to Ottawa fans by winning the Memorial Cup in a nail-biting seven to six overtime win against the Calgary Hitmen.

Cheered by a crowd of over 10,000 energized fans, Ottawa's 67's gave their best to win the Memorial Cup which they last won in 1984. This time however it was even sweeter. They won at home in front of their fans.

My congratulations to the team players for an incredible year and for their stellar performance during the championship. Special congratulations are in order for coach Brian Kilrea who is a legend in his own right. Finally, congratulations to the new team owner Jeff Hunt who believes in this team and in this town.

India And Pakistan

[Gurmant Grewal, Reform, Surrey Central, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week was the first anniversary of the nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan. Since then the Canadian government has shown a complete lack of leadership and has broken Canada's contact at the ministerial level.

Canada should not have pursued a disengagement policy. Canada has a reputation for our skill at mediation and peacekeeping. By taking a leadership role, Canada can help soothe the relationship and promote trade between these two countries that share language and culture. The Kashmir issue will take care of itself, otherwise the situation is a conflict in waiting.

Many other countries, including the U.S., China and France have talked with India and Pakistan, but not Canada. By not sitting at the table and talking, the Liberals are abandoning our traditional peacekeeping and peacemaking roles and allowing the situation to deteriorate.

There is still time to help relieve the pressure that is mounting between these two nations. We call on our government to take a leadership role while there is still time.

Robert Stanley Weir

[David Price, Progressive Conservative, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been singing our national anthem, “O Canada”, for 119 years already. The English lyrics were written on the shores of Lake Memphremagog, in my riding of Compton-Stanstead, by Mr. Justice Robert Stanley Weir, while the music was composed by Calixa Lavallée.

Yesterday, a monument was erected in Weir Memorial Park to honour this great Canadian. The family of Mr. Justice Weir donated the park. It is the only public park along the shores of Lake Memphremagog that is maintained exclusively by volunteers, without any government subsidy.

Mr. Justice Weir had a strong belief in his country, so strong he wanted to write a song. By writing the English words to O Canada, he wished to harmonize symbolically the good relationship between the French and English speaking people of Canada. Today our O Canada remains one of the oldest national anthems in the world.

Mr. Weir would be proud, as we all are. This was a work of love for the greatest country in the world.

Leader Of The Bloc Quebecois

[Hélène Alarie, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Bloc Quebecois leader was in British Columbia and Alberta to discuss a number of ideas to allow Canada and Quebec to move toward a promising future for Canadians and Quebecers.

Our leader noticed that an increasing number of Canadians are seriously considering the proposal of the sovereignist movement, that is a new partnership with a sovereign Quebec.

This dialogue with western Canadians showed us that, beyond the hollow rhetoric, do-nothing attitude and piecemeal approach of the Liberal government, ways can be found to establish sound political relations, based on a new partnership that will serve the interests of both Canada and Quebec.

Canada Development Corporation

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there is another Liberal link in the tainted blood scandal. The finance minister was a director of a crown corporation, Canada Development Corporation, from 1981 to 1986. During that time one of CDC's companies, Connaught Laboratories, imported tainted blood from U.S. prisons in spite of warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The finance minister should have been aware of these dealings.

Will the finance minister release any minutes or documents from relevant board meetings of Connaught and CDC and if not, why not?

[The Speaker]

Colleagues, this is the very first question we have had. I would ask all hon. members to keep in mind that whatever questions are asked in the House must go to the administrative responsibility of the government.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister of Finance was a director of CDC until 1986 when he resigned. I do not know if the minutes from this company can be made available.

By making a statement like that, the opposition is reaching very far in trying to attack and punish the Minister of Finance who is very well known for his integrity.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if all of that is absolutely true then he should have no trouble clearing the air on this once and for all.

The finance minister was a member of cabinet when we were debating compensation packages for hepatitis C victims. This package happened to leave out victims of tainted blood between 1981 and 1986. Coincidentally, those are the very same years that the finance minister sat on the board of that crown corporation.

Did the finance minister excuse himself from all cabinet meetings that dealt with money and compensation packages for hepatitis C victims?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, Connaught Labs was the subsidiary of a subsidiary of the CDC. In each case Connaught Labs, and in fact the parent subsidiary, had its own board of directors.

The government director, who was on the CDC board and the most knowledgeable about this, said that this was not the kind of thing that would have come to the CDC board. He also has no recollection of it coming to the CDC board. I have no recollection of this particular matter coming to the CDC board.

I would be delighted to have whatever papers could be made available to be made available. I have asked my officials to look at our papers but at the present time we have found nothing.

[Deborah Grey, Reform, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the minister realizes that he could have been in a very serious conflict of interest position here. We want that cleared up.

On the one hand, he was a director of a crown corporation that was profiting from selling tainted blood to thousands of Canadians who were poisoned. On the other hand, he was the minister holding the purse strings for the government at that same time when it was coming up with a compensation package for hepatitis C victims.

Rather than the finance minister saying “I'm a little surprised” or “I'm just not sure”, if he has absolutely nothing to hide, when will he release every document available to him so he can wash his hands of this once and for all?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has indicated that if there are any relative papers he will be happy to make them public. He explained very well the link between Connaught and CDC. CDC was a company of the government so the minister could not have any personal interest in it. For the opposition to reach that far into the past to try to find something against the minister who was doing his job properly makes a mockery of democracy.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the association is not nearly as tenuous as the finance minister said. CDC owned Connaught 100%. It did not have a hands-off relationship with Connaught. There were major significant dealings going on in those days. For instance, Connaught lost the Red Cross licence in those days.

Does the finance minister remember that tiny little detail?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the answer to the question is no. I do not remember that.

The CDC director, the most knowledgeable and nominated by the government, has said that he had no recollection of this matter ever being discussed at the CDC board which was the only board on which I happened to sit.

I would be delighted to make public whatever papers I have available but I have no such papers. I have asked the government to look at its papers and if we have them we will make them available to the hon. members.

[The Speaker]

I again remind hon. members that it must go to the administrative responsibility of the government. Although the Minister of Finance rose to answer the question, I will be listening very carefully, and it must go to the administrative responsibility of the government.

[Grant Hill, Reform, Macleod, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister sat in cabinet when discussions were held on compensating these victims. He was one of the individuals who made the decisions. Can he not understand that there could be a conflict of interest?

By the way, the documents are available from the Department of Industry. Would he like to go over and get those documents from the Department of Industry? Will we get them?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, if there are documents and we can find them and make them available I am sure we will. As the Minister of Finance has already said, if there are documents then we will endeavour to make them available in a timely fashion.

Funeral Of King Hussein

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to documents obtained by The Globe and Mail under access to information legislation in connection with the Prime Minister's failure to attend the funeral of Jordan's King Hussein, the Canadian army was apparently ready to transport the Prime Minister and it was in fact the PMO that dropped the ball.

Will the Prime Minister tell the House why Canada's chief of defence staff was forced to take public blame for the incident instead of the PMO?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we did not force the chief of defence staff to do anything. He is able to speak for himself. He does not need anyone to tell him what to do.

King Abdullah was here ten days ago and we discussed this matter. He understood perfectly well that I could not be there at that time. He was very happy to see the Minister of Foreign Affairs representing Canada.

He was ready to answer any questions from journalists about this but there were none.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we were here and we did not understand why the Prime Minister was not there. That is what is important.

First of all, the Prime Minister is responsible for the integrity of his government. Is it not to be expected that ministers, such as the Minister of Human Resources Development, will refuse to take their responsibilities on various issues when they see the Prime Minister himself hiding behind his chief of defence staff in order to avoid his responsibilities?

Does the bad example not come from the top?