House of Commons Hansard #222 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was horses.

Topics

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, long before I arrived it was decided that we had to sign treaties. The treaties were signed in Canada by the king or queen of England long before there was this government or other governments.

The government and myself personally have been dealing with the Nisga'a. I visited them to discuss that in August 1969, 30 years ago. It is about time to do something about it.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Reform

Mike Scott Reform Skeena, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said in response to an earlier question that there can be amendments to the Nisga'a treaty. Yesterday we heard from the government and from the leader of the Nisga'a nation that there can be no amendments. I am going to ask the Prime Minister to clarify for the House right here and now. Can there be amendments to this treaty once it gets to the floor of this House?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the treaty is not in force if there is no enabling legislation. Amendments can be introduced and the House will decide. The enabling legislation will be here. I repeat, I have been talking with the Nisga'a. I have probably visited them more often than the member who represents the Nisga'a in this House.

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

May 5th, 1999 / 2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Premier of Quebec will be leading a business delegation to Mexico a few days from now.

He would have liked to meet with President Zedillo. He therefore requested the help of the federal government in organizing such a meeting.

Could the Prime Minister tell us why the federal government refused to provide any help to the Premier of Quebec, with the result that he will be unable to meet with the President of Mexico?

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, Canada's ambassador to Mexico is completely at the disposal of Quebec's officials and has worked with them to prepare for Mr. Bouchard's visit.

Mr. Bouchard asked to meet with the President of Mexico. The latter does not need and is not obliged to meet with all the provincial premiers who visit Mexico. Having met with the Prime Minister of Canada a few weeks ago, he decided that it was perhaps not necessary to meet with the Premier of Quebec next week.

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, the help of the federal government was not what the Prime Minister said, as he knows very well.

In the past, premiers—

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. Members must choose their words very carefully.

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, other premiers, such as Mr. Harris, Mr. Klein, Mr. Clark, and the late Mr. Bourassa, have met with the President of Mexico.

The U.S. government encourages such meetings between governors of American states and the President of Mexico.

Does the Prime Minister realize that not only has the federal government hurt the Government of Quebec, which pleases him, I should think, but all the members of the business community who will be accompanying the premier? This is petty politics just to serve his cause.

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the party across the way is always going on about duplication in Canada.

Now, they are opening embassies all over the place and the Premier of Quebec would like to be the head of an independent state. If that is his goal, let him run for the office of Prime Minister of Canada. It is as simple as that.

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Daniel Turp Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

Mr. Speaker, we fail to see why the federal government will not agree to allow the Premier of Quebec to lead an economic mission to Mexico and meet with President Zedillo there. Such a meeting is legitimate and desirable.

My question is for the Prime Minister. Is the federal government not still taking a hard line when it refuses to provide all necessary assistance to the Premier of Quebec and prevents him from meeting with President Zedillo?

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we are not preventing anyone from doing anything.

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Jean Chrétien Liberal Saint-Maurice, QC

There is something very important that Quebecers, like Canadians, do not like to see, and that is Canadian disputes taken to capitals all over the world, as the Parti Quebecois is constantly trying to do.

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Daniel Turp Bloc Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC

Mr. Speaker, the federal government always says that political meetings are necessary to the success of Team Canada missions.

In the case before us, the hard line taken by the federal government confers an economic advantage on our foreign competitors, since President Zedillo has agreed to meet with the governor of New Jersey, as well as with the President of Catalonia.

How can the Prime Minister justify his short-sighted policy, which is damaging to the interests of Quebec and the efforts of its government and businesses?

Economic MissionsOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister of Canada does not arrange the schedule of the President of Mexico.

The latter decided not to receive the Premier of Quebec. We helped to organize the business people's visit and to ensure that the Premier of Quebec could meet with a very large number of ministers. He is not meeting with the president, which is unfortunate. I did, and I think that I represented Quebec's interests very well in our talks.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. The purpose of military intervention was to allow Kosovars to return and remain home under the protection of an effective peacekeeping force.

President Clinton has now voiced support for a pause in the bombing if Milosevic will begin troop withdrawals, not complete but begin troop withdrawals. We have called for an immediate suspension of the bombing. At the very least, will the Prime Minister agree with the U.S. president on a possible pause in the bombing?

KosovoOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States made it very clear that the five conditions agreed upon by all 19 leaders of NATO have to be respected by President Milosevic. Of course, he wants to make sure that we have an international force to ensure that the cleansing, the murdering and the raping stops. The timing for the stopping of the bombing and the movement of troops is probably something that can be negotiated. We have to make sure that the cleansing and everything else stops, but he has been very clever in gaining time to carry out his job which is unacceptable to civilized countries such as Canada.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, Winston Churchill once said “to jaw-jaw is better than to war-war”. The release of both the American and Serbian soldiers has now been successfully—

KosovoOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

The Speaker

Order. The hon. leader of the New Democratic Party.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexa McDonough NDP Halifax, NS

Mr. Speaker, momentum is clearly building for a diplomatic solution. Why is the Prime Minister refusing to recognize that an offer of a pause in the bombing will add to the diplomatic resolution?

KosovoOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we had a debate on this. We agreed that it was right for NATO to intervene in this. No later than a few days ago President Václav Havel said “No person of sound judgment can deny one thing: This is probably the first war ever fought that is not being fought in the name of interests but in the name of certain principles and values. If it is possible to say about a war that it is ethical, or that it is fought for ethical reasons, it is true of this war”. I think that was true last week and it is true today.

TaxationOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Scott Brison Progressive Conservative Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, this chaotic, confused cabinet continues to confound Canadians. The Prime Minister says no to tax cuts. The industry minister says yes to tax cuts. The finance minister says “Maybe we should cut taxes, maybe we should not, but not right now”. Yesterday the trade minister said—

TaxationOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.