Debates of June 7th, 1999

Canadian Coast Guard

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

Mr. Speaker, a few years ago the federal government attempted to cut costs by removing West Nova's emergency helicopter service. Only stiff opposition from local residents prevented the government from cancelling this vital service.

The Canadian Coast Guard is presently reviewing all of its operations to identify possible cost cutting measures. Will the minister assure the people of West Nova that their emergency helicopter service will not be sacrificed as a result of this review?

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister has made it very clear many times in the House that safety is and will remain a priority with the coast guard. When the various reviews are done, that information will be provided.

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

Mr. Speaker, the fishing industry is the cornerstone of West Nova's economy. Our fishers need to know that Yarmouth's coast guard helicopter service will be there to help them in the event of an emergency.

Can the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans explain to these fishers why he would even consider removing the service from Yarmouth and putting their lives at risk?

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister has made it very clear many times. We are not in terms of our program review and cost cutting exercise putting lives at risk. We are finding a more efficient and better way of doing things and ensuring that all the safety factors are in place so that fishermen can fish. On top of that, we are providing better management plans so that the fishermen will have the fisheries in the future in order to gain a decent livelihood.

Owens Corning Plant

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development.

Employees of Owens Corning in Candiac have been without work for close to 15 months, and this is a community with over 10% unemployment. Canadians expect their governments to work together to help them when they are in need.

I would like to know what the minister is planning to do to help these workers. The situation is urgent.

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada will contribute $1 million to help Owens Corning reopen its doors. I thank and congratulate the member for Brossard—La Prairie for his excellent work on this issue.

In partnership with the Government of Quebec and the Fonds de solidarité des travailleurs, we have helped Owens Corning put 102 people back to work, which means that the Government of Canada, with its partners in the provinces and with economic agencies, has put 35,000 people back to work thanks to Canada's transitional job creation fund.

Nav Canada

[Lee Morrison, Reform, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Labour. On Friday I asked the government a very specific question with respect to the looming strike action of air traffic controllers. I did not get an answer, so I will ask the question again.

In order to avoid heavy-handed essential services designation or back to work legislation, will the minister publicly endorse final offer selection arbitration, a civilized bargaining tool in which the controllers have expressed interest?

[Claudette Bradshaw, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, both parties are at a crucial time right now. My staff is working both with NavCan and CATCA. It would jeopardize the situation if I commented any further. We are in crucial negotiations. I hope to see and end to this dispute soon.

Status Of Women

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

Mr. Speaker, this morning I met with the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, which is extremely disappointed and distressed by the government's lack of action in all areas of concern to women.

For months now they have been asking the government to reinstate funds in support of programs promoting women.

When will the Secretary of State for the Status of Women take a positive step in support of women's groups by asking the Minister of Finance for the money necessary to fund this program?

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)(Status of Women)]

Mr. Speaker, this government has worked with women's groups in an unprecedented way for the last five years. The issue of women's equality has been at the top of our agenda. We continue to fund women's organizations. There is no women's organization that had been funded five years ago or four years ago that is not funded today.

We will continue to work with women to achieve the gains that we have made and continue them into the next millennium.

Prime Minister

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, when someone sells shares, the transaction is not finally completed until something of value has been received for the shares.

The Prime Minister's lawyer is still arranging the sale of the shares six years after the Prime Minister says he sold them to Mr. Prince who denies ownership because he never paid for the shares. The Prime Minister is not sued for default or breach of contract. Therefore he may still own them.

Will the Prime Minister clear the air today for Canadians and table the share transaction agreements and related correspondence to prove his innocence?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said he does not own the shares. They were sold before he became Prime Minister. The shares belong to a Mr. Prince. The Prime Minister's trustee is helping Mr. Prince to find a buyer. That does not mean that the Prime Minister owns the shares.

I am shocked to hear the NDP say that someone has to prove their innocence. This is not consistent with Canadian and British traditions of justice. The NDP should be ashamed of themselves for abandoning this basic principle.

Tancook Island Ferry Wharf

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

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Public Works Canada and ACOA are involved in a parking project at the Tancook Island ferry wharf in Chester, Nova Scotia.

This government set funds aside to help finance 48 permanent parking spaces. Now the 250 residents of big and little Tancook Island find they have only 26 temporary parking spaces on and adjacent to the ferry wharf.

Can the Minister of Public Works explain how federal moneys could be spent reducing service to Tancook residents when the original plan they supported guaranteed Tancook residents the 40 to 50 spaces they traditionally had?

[Walt Lastewka, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member's question. I will take note of his question and report back to him as soon as possible.

Information Highway

[Janko Peric, Liberal, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.

Canadians often hear the words knowledge based economy. My constituents and all Canadians need to be reassured that their hard earned tax dollars are well spent by the government. What are the real benefits of the government's investment in knowledge based programs such as smart communities?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to a knowledge based economy, the member for Cambridge represents a community where some of our best academic institutions are based. He will know how important it is that we advance the cause of learning and innovation.

That is one of the reasons we have made a goal of connecting all of Canada to the information highway, literally making us the most connected nation in the world. We were the first G-7 country in March of this year to have successfully connected 100% of our schools and public libraries to the information highway.

This weekend I had the opportunity to introduce the national call for proposals to the smart community demonstration project. Communities across the country need the opportunity—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Langley—Abbotsford.

Prisons And Penitentiaries

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the solicitor general about the critical state of drugs in Canada's prisons with the overdoses there are today and the pressure put on prisoners.

He has indicated that there will be a national review of the drug situation. I would like to know when the review will start, when it will end and what its scope is. I would also like to know whether or not the solicitor general intends to have people other than Corrections Canada employees on that review.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, indeed I am pleased my hon. colleague found out last week there was a drug problem in our federal institutions. I have instructed my officials to evaluate the programs we are now using and to put programs together that will fit the offender and make sure that we address the drug problem in our federal institutions.

Canada Day

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the matter of federal expenditures for Canada Day, even when the budget for the events in Ottawa paid for by the National Capital Commission is taken into account, Quebec still had more than 54% of all money spent by the federal government in 1998 for Canada Day.

Since the Minister of Finance—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. The member for Laval Centre.

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

Since the Minister of Finance did not hesitate to cut health care in Quebec in order to comply with the reality of demographics, how does the Minister of Canadian Heritage explain that the argument no longer holds in the case of Canada Day and that Quebec ends up with more than half of the money spent?

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, it really takes someone from the Bloc to object to the fact that there is more money in Quebec, first, and to object that Canada Day is being celebrated when the subject is the Year of the Francophonie, second.

We might now wonder whether the next objection from the Bloc will be that French Canadians not living in Quebec cannot celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. Frankly, this is beyond comprehension. These people have but one objective in mind, and that is to break up the country, and this clearly despite even the wishes of the people of Quebec.

Status Of Women

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a few moments ago the Secretary of State for the Status of Women said that women's equality was at the top of the agenda. I have to say that the evidence from NAC and from women is very different, whether it is massive cuts to EI, federal stalling on pay equity, federal abandonment of social housing or no action on early childhood education. We have to question where the Liberal commitment for equality for women is.

I ask the minister, what concrete steps have been taken on the national early childhood education program?