House of Commons Hansard #231 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was competition.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance has explained, he was a member of the board of the Canada Development Corporation in the early 1980s. This corporation owned Connaught, which was heavily implicated in the tainted blood scandal.
When the minister was involved in the cabinet's decision not to recognize any responsibility to victims prior to 1986, was he aware that he was putting himself in a delicate position?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, how was I supposed to give notification of an event of which I had no recollection?
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to maritime shipping, we are told that the Minister of Finance withdrew from discussions in order to not be in a conflict of interest.
In the matter of the tainted blood, why did the minister not withdraw from cabinet discussions? Is the code of ethics different when tainted blood is concerned rather than shipping?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond.
The Minister of Finance has clearly told this House—and there is a code of honour that applies here—that he does not recall ever having discussed this with anyone whatsoever under any circumstances whatsoever.
It was therefore impossible for him to notify us of something of which he had no knowledge. This is so clear to me that I wonder why the opposition is wasting its time.
Keith Martin Reform Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Mr. Speaker, NATO is planning on beefing its force in the former Yugoslavia to 50,000 troops. The defence minister is continually sending mixed messages as to whether or not we are going to participate in that troop involvement prior to a peace agreement.
My question is very simple. Is Canada going to send troops into this force in advance of a peace agreement, yes or no?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I have made it quite clear on many occasions that there are no plans by Canada or any other country to send in ground troops prior to a peace agreement being reached. That has clearly been the plan of NATO and that is the plan that we continue to operate under.
Meanwhile, we are sending over 800 troops to pre-position them in Macedonia to be ready when they are able to go into Kosovo as part of a peacekeeping mission.
Keith Martin Reform Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Mr. Speaker, we know that the government does not have a plan. It is continually following on the tails of the Americans.
There have been serious accusations on the part of the auditor general and the department of defence saying that the equipment our soldiers have to engage in this is less than adequate. How can the minister tell the House that he is confident in the capabilities of our soldiers and their equipment when they do not have the equipment to do the job?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, what an insult to the fine dedicated men and women of the Canadian forces.
When I was over in Brussels I met with General Short who is the head of the NATO air campaign. He called our people first teamers. Do members know why are they first teamers? It is because they do an excellent job, are well trained and have excellent equipment. They are amongst his first teams.
Yvan Bernier Bloc Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-De-La-Madeleine—Pabok, QC
Mr. Speaker, last year the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans delayed revealing his groundfish plan, thereby creating the problems experienced in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
This year, we are approaching June, and the department has yet to reveal its fishing plan.
Did the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans not learn his lesson last year? And if he did, why is he not acting and making public his fishing plan for the season, which is to start shortly?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the details will be provided to the hon. member and to all other members and fishers by the end of the month.
Yvan Bernier Bloc Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-De-La-Madeleine—Pabok, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister says “by the end of the month”, but it would appear that the groundfish have arrived ahead of the minister.
I would, nevertheless, like to add that this same minister, who has just said that his fishing plan will, all being well, be tabled by the end of the month, is currently buying back groundfish licences.
On what basis is he buying them back, since at the moment, nobody yet knows what approach he will take in fishing this year? Does he know where he is headed in the licence buyback and does he know where he is headed with fishing in the future?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the fishing licence buyback program was established following a number of years of consultations with fishers and members of the Bloc, the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party and other parties.
This policy is well known, but if the member is not familiar with it, I can provide him with the details.
Lee Morrison Reform Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Speaker, in 1996 and 1997 the Fraser River Harbour Commission, a now defunct federal agency stuffed to the gills with Liberal hacks, donated $4,820 to the Liberal Party of Canada.
We do not yet know what the harbour commission donated in 1998 but we understand that its successor, the new Fraser River Port Authority, purchased a table at the Minister of Finance's Vancouver fundraiser.
Does the Minister of Transport believe that it is proper for public entities to financially support the Liberal Party of Canada with public money?
Fraser River Port AuthorityOral Question Period
The Speaker
The question is out of order. If the hon. minister wants to answer he may.
Jocelyne Girard-Bujold Bloc Jonquière, QC
Mr. Speaker, in the report he tabled yesterday, the environment commissioner showed very clearly that, to all intents and purposes, control of toxic substances, including pesticides, was non existent.
The situation has considerable import for public health, and more particularly, the health of children, who are most at risk.
My question is for the Prime Minister. How long do we have to wait before he reacts and proposes powerful means of eliminating toxic substances?
Christine Stewart LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, the government has demonstrated that it is very concerned about the management of toxic substances in our environment.
In the last two budgets we committed over $82 million to the research and management of toxic substances. Bill C-32, the renewed Canadian Environmental Protection Act, will go further in protecting our environment. We will be able to analyze 23,000 substances currently in use in the country and use prevention planning to eliminate them. We will use virtual elimination to get rid of the most toxic substances.
Alex Shepherd Liberal Durham, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources.
There is a worldwide campaign of misinformation directed at the purchasing of Canadian lumber products, especially those from British Columbia.
What is the government doing to counteract this unwarranted attack on the Canadian forestry industry that has the potential of putting tens of thousands of forestry workers' jobs at risk?
Forest ProductsOral Question Period
Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Gerry Byrne LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, Canada has the best forestry practices in all the world. We owe apologies to no one.
Where we can do better we will. We are employing resources and measures to make sure that we do so. We will always defend partial or inadequate information about Canadian forestry practices and we will do so very aggressively.
Last week I headed a Canadian delegation that went before the Council of Europe to make sure that European parliamentarians understood that Canadian forestry practices are among the best if not the best in the entire world.
Grant McNally Reform Dewdney—Alouette, BC
Mr. Speaker, thanks for that infomercial.
A convicted heroin dealer, sentenced to eight years in prison, was granted a refugee hearing by the Supreme Court of Canada. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration could have declared this convicted heroin dealer a danger to the public. She did not. Now he may well be granted refugee status.
Does the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration believe that a convicted heroin dealer is a good candidate for refugee status in Canada?
Lucienne Robillard LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, in this country we follow the rule of law. We also respect our international obligations according to the Geneva convention. This is exactly what we are doing in this case.
Grant McNally Reform Dewdney—Alouette, BC
Mr. Speaker, I guess the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is saying that it is okay for a convicted heroin dealer to be granted refugee status here when she could have taken action.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs has recently announced that he was going to be cracking down on drug trafficking. He has described illicit drugs like heroin as the quintessential human security challenge. However, his cabinet colleague, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, does not feel it is necessary to step in when a convicted heroin dealer may be about to receive refugee status.
Which minister is speaking for the government: the so-called hard on drugs minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the soft on thugs minister, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration?
Lucienne Robillard LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that in our situation we have all the tools necessary not to admit people who are convicted of criminality in this country. We have all these tools. More than that, when we passed legislation in the House to help us to achieve this goal the Reform Party voted against it. Now it is asking us to act. It is clear that we will act.
Wendy Lill NDP Dartmouth, NS
Mr. Speaker, Margaret Atwood once said, in the wake of the signing of the free trade agreement, that it is fitting that Canada has as a national symbol the humble beaver, the animal which when cornered bites off its own testicles and hands them to his adversaries.
I ask the Minister of Canadian Heritage is this not exactly what her government has done today with Bill C-55?
Bill C-55Oral Question Period
The Speaker
Order, please. The hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage.