Debates of May 6th, 1999

Canada Pension Plan

[Lorne Nystrom, NDP, Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. The CPP investment board has purchased shares in Imasco which owns Imperial cigarettes. The minister says that he does not want to interfere with the investment policy of the CPP investment board.

Why does the minister not use the power under the act to issue guidelines that would make ethical screening mandatory? Why is it so difficult to say no to smoking, no to polluting and no to child labour? He has the authority. Why does he not do it?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, if we were to make any changes it would require an agreement between the federal government and the provinces, in fact a majority of the provinces, because the Canada pension plan is under joint federal-provincial stewardship.

In terms of the basic issue the member is raising, the Minister of Health has already answered it. In fact the government has an extensive program to discourage young people from smoking. It is one that the government fully supports.

[Lorne Nystrom, NDP, Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, would the minister show some leadership and inquire of the provinces whether or not they would support some ethical screening for the CPP investment fund?

I have a list of several public pension plans in the United States which ban investments in tobacco and cigarette industries, including the New York state teachers retirement fund and the Florida state pension fund

If they can make these ethical investments, why does the minister not take the lead, consult with the provinces and make sure we do the same thing in this country and ban investment in cigarette and tobacco companies?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly prepared to raise any reasonable issue with my colleagues. As the member knows, two of the provinces are headed by governments of his party. One thing I would say is that there is a regular time for review and there will be regular meetings. All these issues can be dealt with.

It is important to understand that what the fund is now doing is not investing in individual stocks. It is investing in the index.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP desperately needs proper funding to fight organized crime and sex offenders. This requires greater staffing at forensic laboratories and the inclusion of a DNA databank in the CPIC. This databank addition will cost up to $38 million in the first five years. Our police forces need this technology, yet the government refuses to commit sufficient money to accomplish the necessary upgrades.

Given the public interest and the necessity to provide the RCMP with the proper tools and technology it needs, why will the minister not commit to the proper funding of the CPIC and the DNA databank?

[Jacques Saada, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I find it absolutely remarkable that such a question should be asked when, barely one week ago, the Solicitor General of Canada announced $115 million over the next three years, specifically to develop the system.

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I find it remarkable that we would get such a lame answer from the parliamentary secretary.

As the B.C. attorney general and others plead with the solicitor general and the RCMP for financial aid, the government proudly states that it has allotted $115 million. Yet, according to internal RCMP documents, the CPIC needs over $283 million to be effective. Apparently the staff shortages in the RCMP show that even this is insufficient, given these meagre tolls.

Why is the minister standing idly by while the government destroys our national police force through these harsh budget cuts?

[Jacques Saada, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the allegations relating to what is needed to get the system operating are totally unfounded. We must remember, first of all, that $115 million has been allocated to the CPIC.

We must also remember that the budget, the forecast, for the RCMP has been increased by approximately $37 million.

We are starting to tire of these unfounded allegations. Let them base their questions on facts and we will answer those facts.

Aboriginal Affairs

[John Finlay, Liberal, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Could the minister update the House on the status of the Lubicon land claim in Alberta?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, the claim of the Lubicon Cree of northern Alberta is a priority for me as minister of Indian affairs.

I recognize that I have received countless letters from Canadians encouraging this resolution and thank so many members of parliament who have written to me in this regard as well.

I can tell the House that there is an active table of negotiations under way as we speak between Canada and the first nation. The province is there. There is good momentum and I am hopeful that we will be able to resolve this long outstanding claim in a very positive fashion.

Justice

[Jack Ramsay, Reform, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the justice minister told the standing committee that Leonard Peltier was extradited to the United States for the murder of two FBI agents on evidence other than the fraudulent affidavit provided by Myrtle Poor Bear.

Will the minister tell the House what other evidence the justice department relied upon in the extradition of Mr. Peltier to the United States?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot today tell the House the nature of that additional evidence.

However I will inform the House, as I informed members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights yesterday, that I will be releasing my predecessor's review of the Peltier extradition.

The contents of that entire review will be released by me within coming weeks. At that time everybody will be able to see the basis on which Mr. Peltier was extradited from Canada.

[The Speaker]

I received notification from the hon. member I am about to recognize that she will be signing part of her question today.

Captioned Programs

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the French speaking people who are deaf and hard of hearing in Quebec and Canada do not have access to as many captioned programs as their English speaking counterparts. The main reason for this according to broadcasters is a lack of financial resources.

My question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Does the minister agree that the captioning of programs must be considered a public service and will she therefore undertake to establish a program of support for French language captioning?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question. I congratulate the member on her first question as heritage critic.

Everyone looks forward to the return in the very near future of the member for Rimouski—Mitis, and she is in our thoughts.

I would just say that I strongly support captioning in French, English and a number of other languages to make television accessible. I will follow up on the member's request with the CRTC.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Rick Laliberte, NDP, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, in 1953 the Primrose bombing range that straddles both Alberta and Saskatchewan was established.

This huge tract of land that was reserved for the DND displaced the aboriginal people from their basic hunting and fishing rights.

The promised economic opportunities have not been beneficial for the people of northwestern Saskatchewan. The issues for the Metis elders and their communities, which have been directly affected by this loss, have not been resolved.

Will the minister responsible for Canada's Metis commit today to expedite a meeting with the Primrose negotiating committee to resolve these injustices?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, I have already had an opportunity to meet with the Primrose Lake air weapons range committee. I have also corresponded with the president of the committee, Mr. Durocher, and the president of the Metis nation of Saskatchewan, Mr. Chartier, to indicate my keen interest in working out a solution to this matter.

I am indeed very interested in working with the Metis people and the Government of Saskatchewan to identify appropriate economic development and other opportunities for Metis communities in the northwestern part of Saskatchewan.

Publishing Industry

[Mark Muise, Progressive Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, for weeks Canadians have been reading reports about Canada and the U.S. nearing a compromise agreement on Bill C-55.

Not only are Canadians kept in the dark as to what is being sacrificed to appease the Americans, we are not even sure whether negotiations are ongoing, as stated by the Minister for International Trade, or whether they are stalled, as was suggested by the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell the House what we are supposed to believe? Will she tell us exactly what has been put on the negotiating table?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is safe to say that we have had some very positive exchanges with our American counterparts. I think they understand that Canadian content is our main preoccupation.

We believe the table has been set for the Americans to make a proposal, if they wish to do so, which would address the question of majority Canadian content. Having the table set does not mean our guests will bring the wine. Unless it is wine from a majority Canadian vineyard, they should take a rain check on dinner.

Business Of The House

[Randy White, Reform, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am curious about the legislative calendar for the remainder of this week and next week and whether the government will have time to squeeze in the Nisga'a legislation since the calendar looks so weak. Therefore, I would ask the government House leader and former member of the elusive Butterflies what is the calendar.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure you that what the hon. member said was parliamentary. It is the name of a rock group.

First, with respect to the Nisga'a treaty, I gather from his comments that he wants the bill to be adopted rapidly and we will do what we can to accommodate that request.

Today we will continue with the third reading stage of Bill C-71, the budget bill.

Tomorrow we will debate Bill C-66, the housing bill, at third reading. I do not intend to call other legislation tomorrow if the House completes that bill.

On Monday it is our intention to take up the report stage and, as soon as possible thereafter, the third reading stage of Bill C-72, the bill to amend the Income Tax Act.

On Tuesday it is our intention to take up Bill C-78, the pension legislation, assuming of course that it has been reported on time, and I think it is scheduled to be reported tomorrow.

On Wednesday we intend to commence the report stage of Bill C-32, which concerns the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

On Thursday we will return to Bill C-78.

The back-up bills for this week, if we were to finish items very early, would be Bill C-68, the youth justice bill, and Bill C-56. The back-up bill for the end of next week, should our business finish early, would be Bill C-54, concerning electronic commerce, privacy and other matters.

Points Of Order

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

Mr. Speaker, I must raise a point of order with regard to the language used in this House. A few minutes ago, I informed the Bloc Quebecois whip accordingly, because it concerns words that were used by his leader and others.

I realize that we may not be able to deal with this issue immediately, but I want to raise it nonetheless.

I wish to submit to you that two expressions were used earlier which are not appropriate in this House. First, you will understand that it is unacceptable to refer to a parliamentarian as a “Canadien français de service”, a token French Canadian. I simply want to point this out without fanfare because I am a French Canadian myself and I am sure, Mr. Speaker, that you will understand what I mean.

The second expression refers to something that is clearly mentioned in Beauchesne's list of unparliamentary expressions. It was used during oral question period. The term collabo, or collaborationist, was used in reference to the Prime Minister. A collabo was a sympathizer of the Nazi regime in France, during World War II.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, under Beauchesne's rules, which were established by your predecessors, citation 489 provides that the word Nazi is unacceptable. That ruling was made on February 22, 1962. One of your predecessors also ruled, on June 25, 1964, that Canadian Mussolini, which refers to another form of nazism, is also unacceptable in reference to a parliamentarian.

We just heard a third expression relating to nazism or to Nazi sympathizers in reference to a parliamentarian. I submit that it is no more acceptable in this House than the other two expressions that were deemed unparliamentary many years ago.

[The Speaker]

The hon. government House leader did not name any member in particular. He heard these words. He knows where they came from. I would ask him who used them, and perhaps to think about it.

I see the Bloc Quebecois whip is here now and wants to add something regarding this point of order.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will wait for the government House leader to identify who said what, but in the meantime I would ask him to note that the member for Bourassa referred to members of the Bloc Quebecois as collabos de Parizeau.

[The Speaker]

The member for Bourassa is said to have used the word collabos. I did not hear it, but the member for Bourassa is here and can answer if he wants.