House of Commons Hansard #223 of the 36th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.

Topics

Haute-YamaskaStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Diane St-Jacques Progressive Conservative Shefford, QC

Mr. Speaker, in an increasingly global economy, our country's prosperity depends largely on our ability to innovate and to be competitive.

As the magazine Québec Entreprise points out in its most recent edition, the various economic stakeholders of one RCM in my riding have taken this very much to heart. The Haute-Yamaska region, whose main business centres are Granby, Bromont and Waterloo, has shown that it has what it takes to compete with the best.

A healthy economy, a strong and modern manufacturing industry, and high-tech businesses all combine to make this region one of the most dynamic in Quebec.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay particular tribute to all those who helped build my region and who, through their know-how and leadership, are contributing to the economic growth of Quebec and of Canada.

Allergy-Asthma Awareness MonthStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Rose-Marie Ur Liberal Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the members of the House that the month of May is Allergy-Asthma Awareness Month.

More than six million Canadians suffer from allergies and asthma. In many cases, these conditions can be life-threatening.

Voluntary organizations, including the Allergy-Asthma Information Association, help people gain control over their symptoms and improve their quality of life. The Allergy-Asthma Information Association provides educational services and support to both affected individuals and their families.

In 1997 the association answered over 70,000 telephone inquiries and requests for information from all regions of Canada.

Please join me in wishing the Allergy-Asthma Information Association a successful awareness month.

TaxationStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Reform

Monte Solberg Reform Medicine Hat, AB

Mr. Speaker, the following is a poem sent to me recently from an overtaxed Canadian:

Tax the farmer, tax his dad, Tax whate'er he ever had; If he's broke, it's just too bad, Tax him hard, till he looks sad.

Go ahead and tax the man. Tax his dog and hired hand; Tax his cow. Tax her milk, Tax his bed, tax his quilt;

Tax his pig, tax his pen, Tax his flocks, tax his hen; Tax his corn, tax his wheat, Tax his wagon, tax its squeak;

Tax his wife, tax his boy, Tax whatever gives him joy; Tax the man who works for him, 'Fore his paycheque gets too thin.

Tax his buildings, tax his chattels, Tax his truck and all its rattles; Tax his stock and tax his cash; Tax him double if he's rash;

Tax his light, tax his power, Tax his payroll by the hour; If he's making more than rent, Add another five percent;

Tax whate'er he has to sell, If he hollers—tax his yell.

For the finance minister.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Reform

Preston Manning Reform Calgary Southwest, AB

Mr. Speaker, all members of the House were encouraged today to learn that the members of the G-8, including Russia, have agreed to a seven point plan to bring peace to Yugoslavia. The plan is reported to include the deployment of an armed international peacekeeping force in which the Russians would participate.

I ask the Prime Minister what role is Canada expected to play in the implementation of this plan?

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for asking this question.

I was talking earlier with the Minister of Foreign Affairs who started to work on this compromise while he was in Moscow. I would like to report to the House that he played a very important role in the drafting of this resolution. Our role is not defined as yet. We have to move hoping to have a resolution of the security council on that so that the force can be deployed under the authority of the United Nations.

I am very pleased to see that the Russians are part of this agreement and that the G-7 ministers have agreed. It is a very good sign of progress. I hope now that the isolation of Milosevic will be so clear that he will realize he has to permit the Kosovars to go home as soon as possible so that the bombing can stop.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Reform

Preston Manning Reform Calgary Southwest, AB

Mr. Speaker, nothing comes for free in this world and presumably the Russians did not agree to participate in this G-8 plan without asking for something in return from the G-8 members. For example, it is well known that the Russians have been asking for $10 billion and more in assistance from the IMF and other economic and trade assistance from the west to help a faltering economy.

Can the Prime Minister tell us what commitments the G-8 made to Russia to secure its involvement and what those commitments will cost?

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I really do not know why the Leader of the Opposition is throwing a canard like that. I think that the Russians want to have peace in Yugoslavia, and they want to participate with the G-8 to find a political and diplomatic solution to this conflict that we all hope will stop soon.

I do not know of any quid pro quo for them to sign. They are determined, like other countries of the G-8, to have a diplomatic solution. And they did not ask a price for that. Their reward will be the same as ours. It will be peace.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Reform

Preston Manning Reform Calgary Southwest, AB

Mr. Speaker, Canada has already committed 800 Canadian troops to a peacekeeping mission in the Balkans. Originally the plan was for these troops to work with a British brigade as part of a NATO led peacekeeping mission. Now they will presumably be deployed under a UN mandate which will include both civic administration as well as peacekeeping.

Are our Canadian troops properly prepared and equipped for any changes in role which the implementation of this new plan may include?

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the answer is yes.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Reform

Art Hanger Reform Calgary Northeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, Canada should do everything possible to make peace a reality in Kosovo. That will inevitably mean committing a sizeable Canadian military contingent to the region. I am concerned however that we may not have the resources to extend any such commitment beyond the current 800 soldiers who have just been deployed.

Is the defence minister considering the expansion of Canada's current commitment beyond what we have already sent there?

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, there has not been any request to that effect but certainly if there is, then of course we would have a very close look at it. There is nothing in the G-8 terms today that would change the picture in terms of the 800 peacekeepers we have sent over there. They can certainly play a very useful role under the G-8 formula for a solution to this.

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

Reform

Art Hanger Reform Calgary Northeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, our military planners talk of double tours of duty which reveal just how strapped the Canadian forces are for personnel. Our soldiers are already overtasked and they are overworked in Bosnia.

Will the defence minister assure the House that any further commitment to an international peacekeeping force in Kosovo will not include troops who are currently serving in Bosnia?

KosovoOral Question Period

2:15 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, there are no plans to do that in the immediate future. We do have a formula for people coming back from peacekeeping duties to spend some time back here at home before they can be deployed into another theatre.

Is the member talking about taking somebody directly from Bosnia to Kosovo? No, we are not looking at that prospect at all.

In fact, the number we came up with, 800, and the roles that we are asking them to play in this peacekeeping are to bear in mind the fact that we want them to come back home after a six month period of time when they can be reunited with their families. We have taken all of that into consideration. That is all part of the quality of life that we want to improve for our Canadian troops.

International RelationsOral Question Period

May 6th, 1999 / 2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, now that the Minister of Foreign Affairs has admitted yesterday that the Canadian embassy in Mexico never passed on Quebec's request, contrary to what the Prime Minister claimed yesterday, will the Prime Minister apologize to the House, to the Government of Quebec, and to Mexico for the erroneous statements he made in the House yesterday?

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the Parti Quebecois is again trying to show that it has been humiliated.

The President of Mexico will not be in Mexico City when Mr. Bouchard is there. This is a rational enough explanation. I do not know who informed the President of Mexico but, when I met with him, he told me that he would not be there for Mr. Bouchard's visit. It was he who raised the problem, not I.

Divine providence probably informed him, not the Canadian government.

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Gilles Duceppe Bloc Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC

Mr. Speaker, Quebec was ready to change its dates, but that is not the question. The question is whether or not the embassy passed on the message.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister told the House that foreign heads of state did not usually receive provincial premiers. That being the case, how does he explain that Robert Bourassa met with two British Prime Ministers and the German Chancellor?

David Peterson met with the prime ministers of Japan and Italy and the Premier of China. Quebec minister John Ciaccia was received by President Carlos Salinas in Mexico in 1993 and, two weeks ago, Brian Tobin was received by President—

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

The Speaker

The Right Hon. Prime Minister.

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we had a well established protocol for this.

Since I have been Prime Minister, there have been numerous examples of Quebec's Department of International Affairs not allowing the Canadian embassy to be represented during visits by presidents of other countries to Quebec, despite the existing protocol. If they want a protocol, they should start respecting it.

I apologize to President Zedillo, for he must now be having to read telegrams about the humiliation he has inflicted on dear Mr. Bouchard.

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please.

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Maud Debien Bloc Laval East, QC

Mr. Speaker, in 1974, Robert Bourassa met with the King of Sweden. In 1975, Mr. Bourassa visited the Shah of Iran. In 1989, Mr. Bourassa was received by the German Chancellor. In 1992, Mr. Bourassa met with the British Prime Minister.

Is the Prime Minister not putting an unacceptable spin on international relations by refusing to facilitate a meeting between the Premier of Quebec and the President of Mexico?

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the president is not even there. So they are being humiliated.

As we know, the PQ plan is to systematically go looking for humiliations in order to try to win a referendum they never will win if they have the gumption to ask a clear question to the population of Quebec.

So why bother—emmerder—foreigners with our problems, instead of keeping them here—

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

An hon. member

Is that parliamentary language?

International RelationsOral Question Period

2:20 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. I would again ask hon. members, and the Right Hon. Prime Minister as well, to be very judicious in their choice of language.