Debates of May 27th, 1999

Publishing Industry

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister for International Trade, I want to say that both he and the Minister of Canadian Heritage have done a wonderful job in bringing this matter together.

Because of my previous incarnation in this portfolio I know something about this matter. I must say that they have done a wonderful job in dealing with this trade dispute. For the first time there is a recognition of Canadian culture and our right to protect it. Resolving this problem will not have the kind of implications and ramifications for international trade that the opposition seems to think it will.

[Charlie Penson, Reform, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if that is gunboat diplomacy or what is happening here.

If trade negotiators are successful worldwide in reducing subsidies, is that not going to put this whole policy of the Liberal government on magazine subsidies under great risk? Is it not offering something that it cannot deliver, just as it did in the original Bill C-55?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Trade is at this very moment in Budapest having discussions with some 20 other countries as they prepare for the third round of WTO negotiations starting in Seattle this fall. Certainly that issue and how to deal with the issue of subsidies is part of the ongoing discussions in terms of international trade.

Let me say that what has been decided upon here will in no way disrupt the Canadian position with respect to trade and subsidies. In fact, it is a very good resolution.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has made a commitment to help Canadian publishers with a program, the costs of which, I might point out, are unknown even to it. The government contends that it has the assurance of the Americans that they would not contest this policy under NAFTA, the WTO or American trade legislation.

My question is for the Minister of National Defence, who seems to be the closest to this matter. Can he tell us under what legal principle the American government would not be obliged to submit to WTO or NAFTA regulatory authorities any complaints from American publishers who felt that their rights were being infringed upon by Bill C-55?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the WTO encourages countries that have disputes such as the one we had with the United States to get together to settle their differences. This was a difference between our two countries which has now been settled. It has no other ramifications that should interest the WTO. I believe that this particular issue has been resolved and resolved in a very good way.

In fact an article in the Toronto Star , if I can mention a publication from my home city, stated that a negotiated settlement was the only realistic—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Repentigny.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is very reassuring for Canadian publishers.

Speaking of reassurance, what assurance does the Minister of National Defence have that none of the other WTO member countries will ever contest his compensation program when one of them considers there is unfair competition with its own publishers who export their magazines to Canada?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of ramifications that would affect other countries. Certainly the kind of policy direction we have set in trying to protect Canadian culture is a very good one and one that I think will be very beneficial to both American publications and our own, as well as any other country's.

Donations To Political Parties

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport. In 1996 and 1997 three federal agencies, the harbour commissions of the Fraser River, Oshawa and Thunder Bay, donated $5,780.94 to the Liberal Party. The members of those three commissions were all, naturally, ministerial appointees.

Does the minister think that was a proper use of public funds?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, as minister responsible for the Canada Elections Act, I am pleased to answer this question.

On March 5 of this year the government issued directives that crown corporations—and I am speaking only of crown corporations—were not to make contributions to political parties. At least two parties had received them. Ours gave the money back. I invite others to do the same. No answer has come to that effect yet.

In regard to the Fraser Valley Commission, that is not a crown corporation. Again, the Liberal Party and another party in the House have also received funds. I am presently examining the situation and it is under review.

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, we are very aware that these federal agencies are not crown corporations, which is the whole crux of this matter. We want to know if these federal agencies will be subject to the edict that was issued with respect to crown corporations. Does this ruling of the House leader apply to them? Does it apply to the commissions and the port authorities? When can we expect the money to be paid back to the public treasury by the Liberal Party?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, let me answer both parts of the question.

I already indicated that the issue is under review. Whenever a decision comes, if a decision is made to return the moneys, I invite the hon. member across to answer the question himself in regard to his own party.

Tainted Blood

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, between 1981 and 1986, the Minister of Finance was a board member of the parent company of Connaught, which was involved in the tainted blood scandal.

My question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. Is this responsibility as a board member not, by itself, sufficiently compromising to require the Minister of Finance not to be involved in determining the rights of the tainted blood victims?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, this matter has been referred in principle to the ethics commissioner, who has said that a response will be forthcoming.

Human Rights

[Colleen Beaumier, Liberal, Brampton West—Mississauga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, June 4 will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Can the Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific please tell this House if Canada has taken any steps to improve the human rights situation in China?

[Raymond Chan, Liberal, Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)]

Mr. Speaker, Canada continues to be very concerned about the human rights problem in China. We have raised this issue with the highest authority of the Chinese government whenever we could. At the same time, we have tried to engage the Chinese government in judicial reforms and, as well, we have tried to help it reform its institutions.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to those who die and suffer for democracy in China.

Justice

[Derrek Konrad, Reform, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last week convicted sex offender Clifford Howdle went absent without leave while on day parole in my riding. For 36 hours he terrorized people in the area, committing 17 offences which included three rapes and a kidnapping. In spite of the fact that the police opposed day parole for Howdle because he posed a danger to society, he was released.

My question is for the solicitor general. Why was Clifford Howdle granted day parole?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I take this grave matter very seriously. I have directed the Chairman of the National Parole Board and the Commissioner of Correctional Services Canada to conduct a joint national investigation into this tragedy. The investigation will be co-chaired by three former policemen from Lethbridge, Alberta.

[Derrek Konrad, Reform, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, as if the Howdle case was not enough to destroy all faith in the day parole system, another case came to light. In January Frank Laliberte raped a young woman while on day parole. Residents of Prince Albert were assured that Clifford Howdle was an isolated case and we now know that is not true.

What guarantees can the solicitor general give my constituents that there are not more unidentified day parole rapists in their midst?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, this is a very serious matter. I have directed the Chairman of the National Parole Board and the Commissioner of Correctional Services Canada to have a national investigation to get to the bottom of exactly what did happen in this very serious situation.

Shipbuilding Industry

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in regard to the shipbuilding industry the Prime Minister wrote: “The challenge for governments, firms, workers and other interested parties is to exploit all available...opportunities”, which begs the question of why the industry minister does not want to reconvene a meeting of all stakeholders to come up with a comprehensive industrial strategy for shipbuilding in this country.

I wish to give the government the opportunity to speak directly to many of the workers who are with us today. Why does this country not have an industrial strategy for a comprehensive program of shipbuilding?

[Walt Lastewka, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, it has been my pleasure to discuss this subject with the member many times. I should point out that the government has a shipbuilding policy. We have met with shipbuilders from coast to coast.

Please understand that we have an accelerated capital allowance for shipbuilding, specifically a 25% duty on most ships imported from NAFTA countries.

Both the Department of Foreign Affairs and Industry Canada have been working with shipbuilding to try to get more markets. However, let us understand that shipbuilding across the world has a very high overcapacity, and the member should understand that.

Agriculture

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the fire alarm in this building earlier today may well have been sparked by the incendiary letter from the dean of the Senate to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Senator Sparrow said that AIDA is inadequate to alleviate the disaster affecting farmers and states what this party has been saying for months about AIDA including the refusal to recognize the problem, implying rural Saskatchewan residents are ignorant, lazy and/or inefficient. The senator states that if the government chooses not to support rural Saskatchewan then just say so.

How does the minister respond to these stinging criticisms of AIDA from a member of his own parliamentary caucus?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member from the other place refers to people from his own province in the way in which he does but I certainly do not. I respect the farmers in Saskatchewan and all across Canada. I worked with them to put the program in place. I continue to encourage them to fill out the forms and get them in. We will deal with them as quickly as we possibly can.

Shipbuilding Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, today the Prime Minister received 150,000 cards of support for a new national shipbuilding policy from shipbuilders across Canada.

When he was in opposition the Prime Minister stated in a letter to the Marine Workers Federation “It is safe to say that most people recognize that something needs to be done to create a much more competitive shipbuilding industry”.

We all know that the Prime Minister has a habit of saying one thing in opposition but a different thing when he is in power. We want to know what will the government do to bring in a competitive shipbuilding policy?