Debates of May 25th, 1999

National Defence

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence.

The Liberal government is abusing its powers to expropriate B.C. land in Nanoose Bay so that the U.S. navy can bring nuclear warheads into the Strait of Georgia.

Why did the government walk away from the agreement that it signed through its negotiator on May 5 and why is the government taking its orders from the Pentagon instead of the people of British Columbia who voted in 1992 in their legislature, 51 to 1, to declare British Columbia a nuclear weapons free zone? Why will the minister not listen to the people of B.C.?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I have made it abundantly clear that there has never been any testing of nuclear weapons and that there would never be testing of nuclear weapons now or ever in Nanoose Bay. That is absolutely illogical and the hon. member knows it.

Second, with respect to nuclear weapons being aboard any of the U.S. vessels that come into the area, it is the policy of the U.S. government not to do that. However, it is also its policy not to identify whether there are nuclear weapons on any particular ship in any particular location in the world. It does that as a deterrent, as a general policy. We have understood that for 34 years. There has never been any problem and there will not be.

[André Bachand, Progressive Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on the Nanoose Bay subject I ask the Prime Minister again: Is this heavy-handed approach justified, putting American military interests ahead, I repeat, ahead of the rights of the province and aboriginal people? What price will Canadian taxpayers suffer this time?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, there is one thing that the Conservatives and the Reform have in common on this issue: we cannot accuse either one of them of being consistent.

The leader of the Conservative Party is reported in one publication as blaming the Premier of British Columbia and in another publication as blaming this government.

Meanwhile we have the Reform Party being critical today and yet the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, who stood previously, is quoted as saying there is no question the Nanoose Bay facility must be protected against the Clark government's threat to terminate the lease and the hon. member's colleague for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca is saying “I think the federal government did the appropriate thing”.

[André Bachand, Progressive Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has just told us that, whenever a premier or a province does not do what the federal government wants, the government will take exceptional measures, such as expropriating crown land.

This is unacceptable. This is one of the rare occasions on which the federal government will expropriate provincial lands. Is that the new way of negotiating with provincial governments?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

I agree, Mr. Speaker, it is a very rare example. It is not something that we want to do. We did not want to do it in this particular case. We only did it because the Government of British Columbia gave us no choice. It would not negotiate.

We offered a lot more than what this property is worth. Having turned that down and having tried to link it to fisheries, nuclear weapons and all of that, we said “No. Enough. We will follow the legal process. We will go through the due process of law in the expropriation of the seabed and we will give fair market value for it. It is a facility that is vital for our national interests and has been operating for some 34 years.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Children and Youth.

Questions have been raised concerning the aboriginal human resources development strategy with regard to access to services for urban aboriginals.

Since the strategy is designed to provide aboriginal people with access to programs and services regardless of status or residence, can the minister give an assurance that the urban aboriginal population will in fact receive its fair share of benefits under the new strategy?

[Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is sensitive to the needs of all aboriginal people regardless of where they live. That is why the aboriginal human resources development strategy takes in the needs of all aboriginal people regardless of their location.

The strategy also includes a $30 million component over a five year period. That is a substantive contribution of $150 million.

First nations, Inuit and Metis people are also responsible for their people no matter where they live in Canada.

This should enhance the urban component of the strategy. The government used the latest data available to develop the resource allocation model.

Taxation

[Dave Chatters, Reform, Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Justice was quoted as saying that she had no idea why anyone would think Ottawa is considering a fuel tax hike. However, at the same time last week provincial transport ministers were informed by a senior federal government official from the Department of Transport that a gas tax is a possibility.

Canadians would like to know who is speaking for the government, the minister or the bureaucrats? Will there or will there not be a gas tax?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, since the question involves the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Justice, perhaps I can answer.

When the Reform Party has nothing to talk about it dreams about the carbon tax. There is no budget planned for between now and February and there is no plan for a carbon tax, but I am informing the Speaker that whenever the Reform Party is short of questions it will ask about the carbon tax.

Bill C-77

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Orléans, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-77 deregulates bus transportation and does away with the Commission des transports du Québec's jurisdiction over all transportation companies providing interprovincial service.

Does the Minister of Transport confirm that, under Bill C-77, any bus companies providing interprovincial service will be able to compete with the public transit companies in the cities of Quebec, such as the STCUM in Montreal, on the most profitable routes?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, this bill is the result of five years of discussions and consultations with the provinces. A consensus has been reached that now is the time that we should bring forward measures that would deregulate the industry further.

However, I realize that there are different points of view in different provinces. Therefore, the legislative process is all about hon. members bringing forward their concerns, having them debated in the House, having them debated in committee so that we get the best law possible for all Canadians.

Employment Insurance

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, in 1993 the Prime Minister, at that time Leader of the Opposition, said that we must attack the economy, not the unemployed. In March 1999, a Department of Human Resources Development report stated that women and young people were the most affected by employment insurance changes.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Is he going to tell his Minister of Human Resources Development to make the necessary changes to help this country's unemployed?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, this government has adopted a number of policies since 1993 which have made it possible for the Canadian economy to create 1.6 million jobs throughout the country.

The government has undertaken a process of employment insurance reform which has invested far more into helping the unemployed to get back into the work force. We have created a job creation fund of $30 million annually in order to create jobs in regions where the rate of unemployment remains very high.

We have implemented a lot of measures to assist workers, precisely—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Saint John.

National Defence

[Elsie Wayne, Progressive Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I have been informed that the recommendations of the Commander of Land Force Canada regarding reserve forces were completely new, were done without any consultations whatsoever and took everyone by surprise.

My question is for the Minister of National Defence. Is this what he refers to as meaningful consultation or is this just how decisions are made in DND?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, consultations are taking place. This is a proposal. In fact some of the reserve people were involved in putting this proposal together.

It is now up for discussion. No decision is going to be made until everybody has had an opportunity to provide their input on this plan or some other plan. There is no determination yet as to what will be the final resolution. We know that we need to make some changes. We certainly want to make the best possible changes for the armed forces and we want to consult all of the stakeholders.

Science, Research And Development

[Susan Whelan, Liberal, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the 21st century rapidly approaches, the number of women joining the field of science and engineering is too low.

Can the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development ensure Canadians today that both qualified men and women will have the opportunity to choose science and engineering for their career?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have generally accepted that the rate of participation by women in the natural sciences and engineering sectors is too low. In fact, it is less than 12%.

NSERC has also recognized this and it put forward a university faculty awards program where there are opportunities for women. They are chosen like any other individual. They go through the very same steps. They must have a research project that is at the leading edge of their expertise.

By providing the right tools, by providing the right role models, we will have more women and men participating in science and technology.

Taxation

[Dave Chatters, Reform, Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure the Prime Minister that the Reform Party is never short on questions, but the government always seems short on answers.

If government bureaucrats in the departments are saying there is a gas tax and Maurice Strong, an advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations and a passing acquaintance of the Prime Minister, is saying that a gas tax is inevitable, if not today then tomorrow, why would Canadians believe the government when it says there will be no gas tax?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I give a carbon copy of the carbon tax answer I gave earlier.

The Environment

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the environment commissioner, Brian Emmet, this morning tabled a stunning report that concludes the federal government is incapable of implementing its environmental legislation.

My question is for the Minister of the Environment. How can the minister claim to be defending the environment when 75% of the reductions in the release of toxic substances reported to her are misleading, in the opinion of her own officials?

[Christine Stewart, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the government welcomes the report of the commissioner for the environment and sustainable development and certainly I do. It is very important to this government that we protect the environment for the sake of the environment itself and human health to the highest level.

Many departments in the government work together in science and research and in setting policy. We have a senior committee of departments of the government that will work together to put an action plan in place in response to the commissioner's report this year to protect Canadian health and the environment.

Government Response To Petitions

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 13 petitions.

Petitions

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the first petition I present today calls upon parliament to advocate the adoption of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade report regarding reducing the political value of nuclear weapons for the 21st century. The petition also calls upon the Government of Canada to adopt the report as official policy, to implement all of the recommendations fully and promptly and to harmonize existing government positions and programs with the spirit and the intent of the report.