Debates of June 7th, 1999

Prime Minister

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I question the veracity of the hon. member because her misleading assertion relied on what she said the Prime Minister's trustee said in a newspaper article.

The article did not say that she owned the shares on behalf of the Prime Minister. The article quoted her as saying that Mr. Prince still owns the shares. In the process of trying to facilitate the repayment of the amounts owed to the Prime Minister's trust, the trustee notes that she had been working with Mr. Prince to identify a potential buyer for the shares.

The hon. member did not accurately state what Madam Weinstein said in her interview. She should admit that and apologize for it.

[Diane Ablonczy, Reform, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I realize that the Prime Minister is in full damage control mode, but the fact of the matter is that these shares are for sale.

Is the Prime Minister telling the country that he is offering shares for sale that he does not even own?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister, through his trustee, is not offering the shares for sale. It is Mr. Prince who has to sell the shares, and to help Mr. Prince the Prime Minister's trustee is taking some steps in that regard.

The hon. member was wrong when she cited the National Post as saying that the trustee of the Prime Minister was trying to sell shares, implying that he owned them. She was wrong, wrong last week and she is wrong, wrong, wrong today.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the more time passes, the harder it is to figure out what exactly is the Prime Minister's interest in the transaction involving Auberge Grand-Mère and all the related issues.

Do the government, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Prime Minister himself not agree that, to put an end, once and for all, to this whole issue involving him, the Prime Minister should, in all conscience, simply table in the House the agreement confirming the sale of his shares in that company?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister repeatedly provided accurate and clear information to this House to the effect that he has no shares in that venture.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, members opposite may rise in this House and use every possible defence, but there is only one thing the Prime Minister can do to unequivocally clear himself. It is quite simple, and it is clear to those who are listening to us. Why does the Prime Minister not table the agreement confirming the sale of his shares? Then we will stop asking questions on this issue, but first we want to see the bill of sale.

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, to try to put the Prime Minister in a conflict of interest situation is bewildering, especially since all these matters are in the hands of his trustee. They concern his trust. It is not up to the Prime Minister to provide the document mentioned by the Bloc Quebecois House leader.

National Defence

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after the second world war Canada's navy was the third largest in the world. Look how far we have sunk. Jane's Fighting Ships , a respected military publication, found the capabilities of the Canadian navy to be so lacking that it ranked us along with Mexico and Chile. That is shameful.

When is the Minister of National Defence going to present to parliament a realistic plan to renew the beleaguered Canadian forces?

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, let me first say that I totally disagree with the hon. member's preamble.

The Canadian navy currently has 12 new frigates. It has 12 new maritime coastal defence vessels. We are waiting to take delivery of four new Upholder class submarines. We are working on a procurement plan to replace our Sea King helicopters.

The Canadian navy served in the gulf war and it continues to do so.

[Art Hanger, Reform, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, of course the Liberal government is going to disagree. It cut 25% of the budget to the military. It cut all clothing, the military is working with outmoded equipment, it lacks personnel and the defence minister really does not care about the military at all. Jane's says this: “Other western countries—should watch (Canada) carefully to see what may happen if and when servicemen finally lose their hearts because of political indifference”.

What is the Minister of National Defence going to do to correct this deficiency?

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, in addition to what I mentioned a while ago, the Canadian navy has the Tribal Class Update and Modernization Project for the four destroyers, which has been delivered. As well, towed-array sonar systems for the two destroyers and our 12 frigates, and the maritime environmental protection program, which includes nuclear, biological, chemical and damage control equipment that allows maritime operations and training to be conducted in an environmentally responsible manner, have all been delivered.

Immigration

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has finally realized that her government made a mistake in 1995 when it introduced a $975 head tax on refugees, a measure denounced by the Bloc Quebecois.

Is the minister really planning to withdraw this unfair measure in next fall's reform, as mentioned in La Presse ?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to point out that there is no head tax on immigrants or refugees entering Canada.

Anyone wishing to become a permanent resident of this country may apply for landed immigrant status.

Clearly, the government regularly reviews its policies, and that is what it will do when immigration is reviewed.

The Environment

[Ovid Jackson, Liberal, Bruce—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with the advent of summer, its hot hazy days and the increased use of automobiles, there will be an increased use of fossil fuels. These fossil fuels interact with sunshine, creating a temperature inversion and the resultant pollutants to the atmosphere. This creates a lot of problems for Canadians.

What is the Minister of the Environment doing today to improve the quality of the air which Canadians breathe?

[Christine Stewart, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question because just a little while ago I announced the final regulations to reduce sulphur in gasoline. We have implemented a regulation that was proposed last year. I have listened to the comments and I am following through on the proposal. We will reduce sulphur to 30 parts per million by January 1, 2005. We are the leading country on this continent with regard to these reductions. This will mean 2,100 less premature deaths over the next 20 years and millions of fewer asthma cases, pneumonia and acute lung problems.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Wing Construction, an old and established Manitoba company, is more than $2 million in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy because of fraudulent actions by former Sagkeeng band chief Jerry Fontaine. This would be the same Jerry Fontaine who ran for the leadership of the Manitoba Liberal Party. This would be the same Jerry Fontaine who has four close family members working directly or indirectly for the minister.

Does the minister not see the conflict of interest that is generated by the close ties between her department and the Fontaine family?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said last week, there was a contractual relationship between the first nation and this construction company. That contractual relationship has dissolved.

The first nation and the construction company proceeded with a capital project outside the accountability regime of my department, so moneys from my department have been forwarded to that project. Surely the hon. member would not ask me to do otherwise.

[Mike Scott, Reform, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister promised Wing Construction over a year ago that she would do something to straighten out this mess. Does the minister not understand that members of the Fontaine family working in her department, some of whom are working on this file, have a huge conflict of interest? Can she spell conflict of interest? Would she tell us what is the extent of the relationship between the Fontaine family and her and her department?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is completely inappropriate and wrong. An arrangement has been made with KPMG to look at the work undertaken by the construction company. I would suggest that the two private interests in this contractual relationship sit down, deal with that undertaking and make sure there is a fair and quick resolution to this challenge.

Fisheries And Oceans

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Pacific salmon treaty has obviously contravened the law of the land. In 1997 the Delgamuukw decision stated clearly that all aboriginal first nations people must be consulted prior to having any of their rights or treaties affected by any treaties signed by the Government of Canada. The United States brought its tribal councils to the table and its state governors. We know that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans ignored the wishes of the B.C. government and B.C. industry. More importantly, it ignored the wishes of the first nations people of British Columbia.

If this deal is so good for B.C and Canada, why did the Government of Canada ignore the first nations people of British Columbia and break the law?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite feels an obligation to defend the actions of the B.C. government, which were indefensible in terms of this situation.

There have been many processes over the years. There was government to government negotiation. There was an all-stakeholders process.

There was a multi-stakeholders process in which all people were brought in. It would always end up in deadlock. Strangway-Ruckleshaus recommended the government negotiations. We undertook those negotiations. We moved fish to Canada and now we have a deal that is good—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the minister signed a 10 year deal. The $209 million the minister is bragging about is only money that goes into an endowment fund. Only the money gained on interest from that money will be spent on any habitat programs over a four year period. Four of the jurisdictions are American and one is Canadian.

I ask the parliamentary secretary, why did you sell out thousands of jobs and get rid of millions of pounds of fish for American pennies?

[The Speaker]

All questions must be addressed to the Chair.

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, this was not a sell-out, it was a gain for Canada. The endowment fund helps science and helps habitat. We have moved fish to Canada. In terms of Fraser River sockeye they have been in place for the last number of years. There have been 4.1 million more fish for Canadians.

There is an article which sums it up best on the steelhead and salmon issue said:

Now the 20th century closes with the courageous actions of David Anderson, proud Canadian to the core, determined to do right by his country's rivers and oceans and the wild salmon they nurture.