House of Commons Hansard #234 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was environment.

Topics

Pay EquityOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

The Speaker

Of course, we always address hon. members as such, and not as a woman or anything else.

Pay EquityOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Hull—Aylmer Québec

Liberal

Marcel Massé LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I think that the opposition has not yet listened correctly.

This government, the Liberal government, is one that not only supports pay equity, but it is a Liberal government that passed the law. In fact in the implementation of pay equity, we have paid over $1.1 billion over the last 15 years. I still have an offer on the table to settle the case for $1.3 billion. Why would the government not give equity to both our employees and the taxpayers?

Windsor—St. ClairOral Question Period

3 p.m.

The Speaker

I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada on the administration of the Windsor—St. Clair byelection held on April 12, 1999.

This document is deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary 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 8 petitions.

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

May 31st, 1999 / 3 p.m.

Liberal

Susan Whelan Liberal Essex, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is through the co-operation of all parties and the depth of the knowledge of all members in understanding both the problem and the different routes for solving the year 2000 computer issues that today I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Industry entitled “The Year 2000 Problem—Will Canada be Ready?”

Committees Of The HouseRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Liberal

Raymond Bonin Liberal Nickel Belt, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Transport with respect to Bill S-23, an act to amend the Carriage by Air Act.

Proceeds Of Crime (Money Laundering) ActRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Willowdale Ontario

Liberal

Jim Peterson Liberalfor the Minister of Finance

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-81, an act to facilitate combatting the laundering of proceeds of crime, to establish the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and to amend or repeal certain acts in consequence.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Reform

Jim Gouk Reform West Kootenay—Okanagan, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first petition concerns the Firearms Act.

The petitioners point out that this legislation does not provide any evidence as to how it will save lives and that the money which is being used could be better spent on better law enforcement, health care or any one of a number of other important issues.

These petitioners call upon parliament to repeal the act respecting firearms and other weapons.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Reform

Jim Gouk Reform West Kootenay—Okanagan, BC

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from constituents in my riding who are concerned about violent young offenders.

The petitioners feel that the Young Offenders Act should be amended to hold young people fully accountable for their criminal behaviour and to increase periods of incarceration to deter young people from committing these criminal acts.

The petitioners look for a number of amendments, of which the government is well aware, to strengthen the act and thus reduce the incidence of youth crime for the protection of all Canadians, young and otherwise.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Guy St-Julien Liberal Abitibi, QC

Mr. Speaker, I table a petition from the Inuit community of Tasiujaq, in Nunavik.

The petitioners say that in winter from 16 to 20 people may share the same three-bedroom house. They find the housing conditions in Nunavik extremely troubling. The situation is considered intolerable; it contributes to the high incidence of tuberculosis, infectious diseases and social problems.

The federal government must meet its obligations under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement on housing in Nunavik.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Diane St-Jacques Progressive Conservative Shefford, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition signed by many of my constituents.

The petitioners urge parliament to keep open the RCMP detachment in Granby, and assign enough staff to protect our homes and our rights.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

NDP

Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, it gives me great pleasure, on behalf of Mr. Fred Wornell of Edmonton, Alberta, to present a petition.

The petitioners are from Edmonton, Alberta and Kapuskasing, Ontario. This will be the start of many hundreds of thousands and millions of signatures to come to this parliament concerning this issue.

The petitioners call upon parliament to support Bill C-508, which happens to be my bill, an act to provide for Hepatitis Awareness Month, ensuring that throughout Canada in each and every year the month of May shall be known as Hepatitis Awareness Month.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Reform

Leon Benoit Reform Lakeland, AB

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to present a petition on behalf of the constituency of Lakeland requesting that public funds being designated as grants to individuals or groups be more carefully scrutinized. The petitioners refer particularly to the $98,000 granted to the Montreal publisher Edimag for the 500 best dumb blonde jokes. My constituents do not feel that this is an appropriate use of taxpayers' money and they ask that the government withdraw this grant and disallow similar grants in the future.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Steckle Liberal Huron—Bruce, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have before me this afternoon two petitions.

The first one deals with a matter which is very important to a number of my constituents. These petitioners do not want government nor the drug industry to regulate herbs and teas. They believe that, once regulated, they will become cost prohibitive. They also believe that their freedom of choice will be impeded. They are implicitly asking the government to give back the freedom of choice they believe they are losing through legislative control.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Steckle Liberal Huron—Bruce, ON

Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with firearms control.

These petitioners request parliament to repeal Bill C-68 and redirect the hundreds of millions of tax dollars being wasted on the licensing of responsible firearms owners and the registration of legally owned guns by doing something proven to be more cost effective at reducing violent crime and improving public safety, such as more police on the streets, more crime prevention programs, more suicide prevention centres, more women's crisis centres, more anti-smuggling campaigns and more resources for fighting organized crime and street gangs.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Reform

Ken Epp Reform Elk Island, AB

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased on behalf of the members of my Elk Island riding to rise once again to present a petition.

The petitioners are very concerned that families who decide that one of the parents will stay at home to raise their children instead of hiring someone else to do it should have tax discrimination. They are asking that this be rescinded.

This petition will add 87 signatures to the many hundreds I have already presented in this House.

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

NDP

Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order, 36 I am presenting a number of petitions from urban aboriginals in Ontario who are calling on the government to stop its downloading of aboriginal housing.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to acknowledge and to follow through on its fiduciary responsibility to aboriginal people off reserve, and they state that they should not be suffering the hardship that is being caused by the Liberal government.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Peterborough Ontario

Liberal

Peter Adams LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 193 and 232. .[Text]

Question No. 193—

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Jim Jones Progressive Conservative Markham, ON

For the 1997-98 fiscal year what were (i) the eligibility requirements, (ii) the repayment obligations, (iii) the average contribution made in the ridings of Markham, Saint John, Calgary Southwest, Halifax, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, Saint-Maurice, Ottawa South and Lasalle—Émard, (iv) the average contribution made in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; and (v) the average contribution made nationwide, for each of the following business Development Bank of Canada initiatives: ( a ) techno-net, e-commerce term loans; ( b ) micro Business program; ( c ) patient capital; ( d ) term loans; ( e ) venture loans; ( f ) working capital for growth; ( g ) working capital for exporters; ( h ) tourism investment fund-development capital for tourism; ( i ) young entrepreneur financing program; and ( j ) growth capital for aboriginal business?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

St. Catharines Ontario

Liberal

Walt Lastewka LiberalParlimentary Secretary to Minister of Industry

(i) The Business Development Bank of Canada, BDC, provides commercial financing to small businesses. Requests for financing are examined based on established commercial credit criteria. As a term lender and provider of venture capital the bank assesses not only the project but also the long term viability of the business. The Bank carefully assesses the viability of the project by reviewing the management, the potential profitability, shareholder's investment and available security. The instruments and/or policies used to scrutinize the information submitted by applicants for financial assistance as to its accuracy are described as follows.

The bank has a comprehensive due dilligence process in place to assess eligibilty, environment, credit worthiness and viability of the project, proposal or business. This includes verification requirements with the applicant's principal chartered bank, any other financial institution and/or government agencies dealing with the applicant, principal suppliers and clients, chartered accountants and various credit associations to verify information. In some cases external industry specialist assistance is obtained.

(1) It is mandatory to obtain credit bureau reports. Dun & Bradstreet reports are requested depending on size and complexity of the operation.

(2) It is mandatory to obtain chartered bank-credit union reports on every applicant at time of initial inquiry. It is also a requirement to contact any other lenders, including leasing, to obtain experience information and confirmation.

(3) It is mandatory to complete a management assessment and market evaluation through a series of questions and outside verifications with commercial lenders, trade suppliers and industry experts.

(4) It is mandatory to undertake a complete financial analysis, both horizontal and vertical, supported by discussions with the applicants accountant-auditor. The bank emphasizes requirements for audited financial data. However review engagements are acceptable for smaller less complex proposals.

(5) It is mandatory to assess the environmental conditions of the grounds and facilities.

(6) All pertinent information is entered into a risk grid and compared to industry norms to determine the overall level of risk.

In addition, a second level approval process is in place for larger applications that includes a thorough review of all supporting information gathered by the processing office in the due diligence process. This is similar to processes conducted by other commercial lending institutions in North America.

(ii) BDC does not provide grants or subsidies. It provides debt and equity financing which must be repaid, including both capital and interest. All the money lent by BDC to small business is borrowed from international and domestic financial markets. In order to meet the operating needs of its loan clients, the bank provides flexible repayment terms, including seasonal payments if required.

(iii) For its administrative purposes the BDC maintains activity reports on a branch by branch basis. The BDC does not maintain statistics on the basis of electoral ridings and is therefore unable to provide the listing as requested. BDC is, however, providing statistics relating to loan activity of the BDC on the basis of branch. Branches may service more than one riding. The following are the loans and guarantees authorized for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1998, by branches which include in their territories the requested rindings:

The Scarborough branch, which includes the riding of Markham, authorized 53 loans for a total of $25.1 million; the Saint John, N.B., branch which includes the riding of Saint John, authorized 44 loans for $7.2 million; the Calgary branch , which includes Calgary Southwest, authorized 198 loans for $36.5 million; the Halifax Branch, which includes the riding of Halifax, authorized 81 loans for a total of $22.6 million, the De Maisonneuve branch, which includes the riding of Laurier—Ste-Marie, authorized 74 loans for a total of $26.3 million; the Trois-Rivières branch, which includes the riding of Saint-Maurice, authorized 68 loans for a total of $16.1 million; the Ottawa branch, which includes the riding of Ottawa South, authorized 114 loans for a total of $33.3 million; and Place Ville Marie Montreal branch, which includes the riding of Lasalle—Émard authorized 221 loans for $55.1 million.

(iv) For the provinces requested the following are the loans and guarantees authorized for the year ending March 31, 1998. In the province of Quebec there were 1,807 loans authorized for a total of $477.4 million. In Ontario there were 1,291 loans authorized for a total of $388.3 million. In Alberta there were 693 loans authorized for $98.2 million. In Nova Scotia there were 118 loans authorized for $29.4 million and in New Brunswick there were 227 loans authorized for $47.4 million.

(v) (a) The Techno-net loan was recently launched. Therefore it is too early to report activities under this product.

For the fiscal year ending March 31, 1998: (b) 515 loans for $18 million were authorized under the micro business program; (c) 46 patient capital loans for $9.4 million were authorized; (d) term loans which include products such as the micro business program, the young entrepreneur financing program and the tourism investment fund consisted of 5,759 loans for a total of $1.2 billion for the year; (e) 215 venture loans for $77.6 million were authorized; (f) 231 working capital for growth loans were authorized for a total of $18.5 million; (g) 16 working capital for exporters loans were authorized for a total of $3.3 million; (h) 27 loans for $31.8 million were authorized under the tourism investment fund program; (i) 158 loans for $4.1 million were authorized under the young entrepreneur financing program; and (j) 59 aboriginal business loans were authorized for $12.2 million.

Question No. 232—

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Reform

John Duncan Reform Vancouver Island North, BC

Could the government provide a complete list of all the regional and local ports of British Columbia as designated under the Transport Canada national marine policy of December 1995 that have not yet been successfully transferred to provincial governments, municipal authorities, community organizations, private interests or other groups, or other federal departments as of March 31, 1999?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Thunder Bay—Atikokan Ontario

Liberal

Stan Dromisky LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Transport

This is a list of remaining regional and local ports in British Columbia as of March 31, 1999:

Ahousat—Gambier Island—Piers Island—Southbank, François Lake,

Alert Bay—Gold River—Port Clements—Stewart

Alice Arm—Grief Point—Port Graves—Sturdies Bay

Alliford Bay—Halfmoon Bay—Port Hardy—Swartz Bay

Billings Bay—Halkett Bay—Port Renfrew—Takla Landing

Blubber Bay—Harrison Hot Springs—Port Simpson—Telegraph Creek

Brentwood Bay—Hopkins Landing—Port Washington—Thetis Island

Campbell River—Horseshoe Bay—Powell River—Tofino

Chemainus—Keats Island—Saanichton Bay—Ucluelet

Coal Harbour—Kelsey Bay—Savary Island—Vananda Cove

Deep Cove—Kuper Island—Seymour Arm—Vaucroft Beach

Eastbourne—Masset—Sicamous—Victoria and Esquimalt

Esperanza—Miners Bay—Sidney—Whaletown

Fernwood Point—Montague Harbour—Snug Cove

Friendly Cove—Nanoose Bay—Sointula

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker

Is that agreed?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.