Debates of May 7th, 1999

Immigration

[Grant McNally, Reform, Dewdney—Alouette, BC]

Mr. Speaker, thanks for that brief commercial message and now back to the news.

There is more news today showing that the immigration system is broken. Three Canadian consulates were investigated on charges of visa fraud and, following the investigation, fourteen of the minister's employees were charged with criminal offences. How can Canadians have faith in an immigration system like this?

Will the minister or the government order an investigation of all the embassies to ensure the safety and security of Canada's visa system?

[Andrew Telegdi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, let us turn from the comedy channel back to reality.

The integrity of the department lies at the very heart of what we do as a government. There is no question that any allegation of illegal activity is taken very seriously both by our government officials in CIC and the RCMP.

[Grant McNally, Reform, Dewdney—Alouette, BC]

Mr. Speaker, if the member would not take all his time working on his first line perhaps he could actually answer the question. I will try asking it again.

Today there is news that there are three consulates that have been investigated and fourteen employees have been charged with criminal offences. This is a challenge to the integrity of the immigration system. I would surely hope the member could see that.

I am going to ask a direct question and I expect an answer. Will the immigration minister or the government order an investigation of all the embassies to ensure the safety and security of Canada's visa system, yes or no?

[Andrew Telegdi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member stands up and says these people have been charged. They have been charged because the government is very concerned about the integrity of the system and that member should be applauding us for it.

I reiterate that any allegation of wrongdoing is examined by the government. If we find anything underhanded, any illegal activity, charges are laid. The member sees the effect of our investigations.

Employment

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister.

I am sure he joined all members of parliament this morning who were both shocked and disappointed to see the reversal in the downward trend in the unemployment figures. Was the Deputy Prime Minister surprised at this reversal this morning? Is it serious enough for the government to take some steps to bring the downward pattern back into play again?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are looking at the results of one month. This is not enough to establish that the very favourable upward trend since 1993 has been reversed. We are obviously watching the situation very closely.

At the same time, the NDP and all Canadians should be ready to recognize that the very favourable upward trend has gone on since 1993 with 1.6 million new jobs being created. One month's results are not enough to say that the trend has stopped. We are going to be watching the situation very closely.

[Nelson Riis, NDP, Kamloops, BC]

Mr. Speaker, just three months ago the Minister of Human Resources Development said that job prospects for young Canadians are brighter than they have been in years. This morning we find that in Ontario more than 50,000 people have been added to the rolls looking for work. More than half of those are young people, bringing it up to 15.7%.

Earlier today we heard about the summer career placement program and the funding it has received. If the government wants to do something about youth unemployment, would it consider adding funds to that program so at least people coming out of the colleges and universities will have a chance for a decent summer job?

[Tony Valeri, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, like the Deputy Prime Minister said, we have to look at the trend and the trend is in fact improving.

Over 900,000 jobs have been created in this country since December. Over 15,000 jobs were created in April. What has happened is that the participation rate has gone up. It has gone up because the economy is solid. It has gone up because the fundamentals are right. We have low inflation, low interest rates, a balanced budget and declining debt to GDP. The economy is poised to do well. The help wanted index has gone up and that is always a precursor to better job opportunities. That is what has happened. I would hope the hon. member would take that into consideration.

Homelessness

[Gilles Bernier, Progressive Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, it has been 45 days since the government appointed a minister responsible for homelessness. We still have seen no plan, no strategy and no budget to tackle this problem. At the Toronto summit on homelessness the minister promised to have a plan in place by the end of April. We are now in the month of May.

When will the minister have a plan and budget in place, or was this appointment just an empty gesture?

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

Mr. Speaker, to suggest that the hon. Minister of Labour's presence, her work and her past dedication which has been demonstrated on countless times because of what she did so successfully in the past, is an empty gesture is totally unbecoming of the member across the way. He should know very well that the minister has devoted herself, heart and soul, to this cause in the past. She continues with that same kind of enthusiasm in this House, in cabinet and throughout her entire career.

[Gilles Bernier, Progressive Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, we do not live in the past. We live in the present. The minister responsible for homelessness said she is qualified to do her job because she went to bingos with the homeless. It has been three years since the government announced it was getting out of the social housing business.

When if ever will the minister responsible for homelessness have a strategy to announce on homelessness? Or is she too busy playing bingo?

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

Mr. Speaker, I rest my case. Those remarks are even more outrageous than the words we heard previously. It is not the minister responsible for homelessness. It is nonsense to suggest in any way that she is responsible for homelessness. She will be responsible for assisting homeless people in Canada. That is the exact opposite of what the hon. member just said.

Children

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Oak Ridges, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if we listen to the members of the Bloc it is obvious their concerns are about jurisdiction and money. Our priority is children. Can the parliamentary secretary to the minister of HRD inform the House what outcomes we can expect from the Saskatoon meetings?

[Bonnie Brown, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad my colleague recognizes the good news nature of the national children's agenda launch—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Order, please. It is very difficult to hear the answer and the question.

[Bonnie Brown, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is good news for all Canadians who are sick of jurisdictional wrangling. They are happy to see a new level of co-operation that the publication of the national children's agenda document represents. On the subject of children, we know that Canadian children do not all have the same chance to get a good start in life and in fact that erodes the equality of opportunity we purport to represent.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[John Duncan, Reform, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in response to a question about the lack of RCMP funding the parliamentary secretary said “bring us the specifics and we will address them”.

Here are some specifics. Last week the three member federal drug squad covering the north half of Vancouver Island was eliminated. In Port McNeill the already short-staffed detachment lost another constable with no replacement in sight.

When will the minister stop the bleeding, fill the vacant positions and restore the millions of dollars missing from the RCMP's core budget?

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

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts: an additional $10 million for the B.C. division of the RCMP; an additional $37 million for the RCMP budget; an additional $135 million at the request of the RCMP to improve the Canadian Police Information Centre; a memorandum of understanding between Treasury Board, the RCMP and the Solicitor General so contract positions will be paid from outside the RCMP's budget.

Let us have fewer myths and more facts.

Fisheries

[René Canuel, Bloc, Matapédia—Matane, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has once again been very unfair to Quebec fishers.

In spite of a 25% increase in the total quota for the northern shrimp fishery, Quebec fishers will only get 1.6% of it.

The minister had pledged to consult the provinces but did not do it. Can he explain to Quebec fishers why he is trying so hard to help Newfoundland fishers? Is it because of his good friend, Mr. Tobin?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, first, I did consult with the minister of fisheries of the province of Quebec.

Second, the increase in the value of landings in the province of Quebec between 1989 and the year for which I have figures, 1997, was higher in Quebec than in any other province in Atlantic Canada. The Quebec fishermen are in fact, in terms of increase in their landings, getting more money than those of any other province.

My final point is that when it comes to temporary shrimp licences we allocate on the basis of adjacency and the Quebec fishers are not adjacent to the Labrador and Newfoundland shrimp.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Bev Desjarlais, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it has been announced that there will be severe cuts to the Halifax and Calgary operations of CBC Newsworld. Not only will this mean further job losses at the CBC, it runs contrary to the commitment made by the CBC to the CRTC and Canadians that there would be significant regional presence. These cuts will guarantee that the news will be increasingly central Canada based and biased.

Can the minister explain how Newsworld will remain reflective of all regions after these cuts in Atlantic Canada and the prairies?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more.

Forestry

[Gerald Keddy, Progressive Conservative, South Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister responded to questioning at the natural resources committee that he hoped capital gains changes for private woodlot owners would be forthcoming. Capital gains changes and changes to allow for amortization of forestry maintenance practices are essential for sustainable woodlot management.

Will the Minister of Natural Resources tell the House when such policies will be forthcoming?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman knows, there has been considerable discussion ongoing involving the Department of National Revenue with respect to interpretive bulletins it issues from time to time. These discussions have included woodlot owners who have expressed taxation concerns in the past.

I understand that that work has gone forward very successfully. We can anticipate in the next short while some adjustments in those interpretive bulletins that will be favourable to the woodlot owners.