Debates of April 7th, 2000

Canada Development Corporation

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has made it very clear that he has asked his finance department to make a thorough review of this matter. He has also asked that the Information Commissioner be part of this review. He has also made it very clear that all of the relevant documentation is in the hands of the Ethics Counsellor and that he hopes that this review will be made public as quickly as possible.

[Deepak Obhrai, Reform, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, hon. members have been talking about obeying the law, so why do they not obey the law?

The Ethics Counsellor stated quite clearly that the documents had to be released under the Access to Information Act. We know that the finance department had the documents on the day they wrote to the Leader of the Opposition stating that they did not. The Ethics Counsellor told the finance department to release the documents and yet the finance minister's department not only withholds the documents but also denies their existence. Why?

[Jim Peterson, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, I can only repeat what I said earlier. The finance minister has asked his finance department to make a full review of this matter and he has asked that the Information Commissioner be brought into this very examination and discussion. As well, the Ethics Counsellor has been involved and will be issuing a report, we suspect, very soon.

Cinar

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government House leader earlier read a decision that referred to any other law or regulation.

Will he deny that section 231.4 of the Income Tax Act provides that:

The Minister may, for any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of this Act, authorize any person, whether or not the person is an officer of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, to make such inquiry as the person may deem necessary with reference to anything relating to the administration or enforcement of this Act.

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not want to get into a detailed discussion on the wording of an act except to repeat, as I said to the member opposite, what I said earlier: regardless of any other law or rule of law. So this section indeed provides “any other”. Second, I draw the member's attention to the paragraphs following section 241(3), which provide that the exception therefor, for disclosure of information, applies only, one, to an indictment after charges have been made or, two, to a conviction. These are the only two exceptions.

Immigration

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

The minister will know that many school-aged children in the province of Ontario are not allowed to go to school because of their immigration status.

Can the minister assure the House that the new immigration act will protect these children's right to an education?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased and proud to have the privilege and opportunity to table yesterday the new immigration and refugee protection act, Bill C-31. I want to assure the member that the government takes very seriously the best interests of children. That is enshrined in the legislation and the act states very clearly, and I would point him to clause 26.2, that the immigration bill that I tabled in no way requires an immigration student authorization for children to attend primary, elementary or secondary school. Education is provincial jurisdiction—

Millennium Bureau Of Canada

[Bill Gilmour, Reform, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as if the HRDC scandal were not bad enough, now we have the Millennium Bureau funnelling millions of dollars into Liberal ridings.

I suppose we should not be surprised—yet another program set up to provide Liberals with a slush fund. For example, the Deputy Prime Minister's riding is receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars funnelled from this fund into his riding.

The HRDC scandal was bad enough. Why are the Liberals allowing the Millennium Bureau to pick up where the HRDC scandal left off?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the premise of the hon. member's question is wrong. I point out that there are projects which have addresses in Liberal ridings but in many, if not all cases, they carry out activities in many other ridings. This is the case as well for Reform ridings.

I might mention, for example, Reform members have 18% of the seats but 19% of the approved projects have addresses in Reform ridings. That does not seem unfair, does it, Mr. Speaker?

[Gerry Ritz, Reform, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I think the premise of that answer is all wrong. The Deputy Prime Minister certainly has the Midas touch when it comes to pumping boondoggle money into Liberal ridings.

He administered the Millennium Bureau of Canada. Three-quarters of a million dollars went into his own riding. A million dollars went into the justice minister's riding and next door they got $23,000; $850,000 went into the the foreign affairs minister's riding and next door they got $70,000; and $600,000 went into the Prime Minister's riding and there are four RCMP investigations there already. Why does it cost so much to buy votes in Liberal ridings?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the premise of my hon. friend's question is wrong. For example, the Provincial Museum of Alberta is in the justice minister's riding. If it has a project, does that museum not serve people in the entire province? Is there any law preventing the constituents of Reform members from visiting that project? No, there is not.

An address may be in a Reform riding or a Liberal riding, but the money may well be spent all across the region and in fact all across the country like the Trans-Canada Trail, for example.

Official Languages

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, an article published in today's edition of L'Acadie nouvelle says the following:

According to Mrs. Adam, RCMP officials and those who complained, fearing that francophones from New Brunswick would lose their vested rights to French language services because as a result of the new policy on linguistic requirements, are currently stuck in “radically opposed” positions.

Will the minister responsible for official languages make sure that Acadians and francophones will not lose their vested rights?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a fundamental principle of this government to preserve official bilingualism, and to preserve the status of French as well as that of English throughout the country, or from coast to coast to coast as we say.

Our government is committed not only to protect this principle, but to promote it energetically.

Health

[Bev Desjarlais, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, home care is more than just a more efficient and cost effective use of health care dollars. It allows patients to live in dignity in their own homes. Most home care users are seniors, but instead of a national home care system the Liberal government is giving them for profit American style health care.

The health minister said it takes more than money. I agree. We need a plan, so why has the government not come up with a plan in seven years? After seven years, why is it still blaming the provinces and making excuses? When will the government stop the excuses and the blaming of others and start doing what is right for seniors and all Canadians?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the member is right about the need for the Government of Canada to work to support what the provinces are doing in terms of broadening access to home and community care. Indeed, when I invited my colleagues to work with me this spring, and we started last week in Markham, it was to discuss that very subject among others.

Last weekend unfortunately we ran into ministers who wanted to talk only about the money. Their first ministers would not let them go beyond that, but there are hopeful and encouraging signs. The Government of British Columbia has now said it wants to sit and speak with us about substantive matters, including broadening home and community care. I look forward in the weeks and months ahead to working with that and other governments so that in the last analysis we will have better services for Canadians.

Human Resources Development

[Jean Dubé, Progressive Conservative, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister likes to quote transcripts. Let me quote transcripts from yesterday's HRDC meeting. The president of the employees' union on questioning said:

Have you ever received any comments from staff from any office in Canada of this directive by HRDC to fill out forms, to fill out these files that were empty and backdate them? Have you ever received this information?

The answer was:

Mr. Chair, we have got similar directions and the answer is yes.

This is a very serious accusation. Could the minister shed some light on these accusations?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, indeed this is very serious and I want to say to the House very clearly that the position of my department, formally and informally, in writing and verbally, is that the law will be obeyed.

Let me continue to quote from the formal directive of February 16 that states:

It should be clear and apparent on the file what changes have been made to the file and the date the change was made.

If the hon. member has proof which would suggest that this is not being done, I would very much appreciate him bringing it forward because I will act on it very aggressively.

[Jean Dubé, Progressive Conservative, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, that is precisely what we are doing, bringing it forward.

Yesterday, in committee, the national president of the department's employees reiterated the department's guidelines to check all files and, where information or documents were missing, fill out the empty files and backdate them. We are bringing these facts to the attention of the department today. These are very serious accusations.

Will the minister call for yet another police investigation?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, as a result of that testimony the particular individual will be called and asked for the proof that he has.

I too ask the hon. member that if he has proof, not just allegations, not just hearsay, to please bring it forward so I can deal with it.

Health

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

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

For some days now, the Bloc Quebecois has been accusing the Minister of Health of interfering in areas of provincial jurisdiction as far as health care is concerned, particularly in relation to nurses and health insurance.

Can the minister tell the House whether he intends to respect provincial jurisdictions in relation to health care?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to clarify the position of the federal government.

It is our intention to work in co-operation with the provinces, respecting provincial jurisdictions.

I would like to point out that we have proposed new federal programs for home care, community care and pharmacare, and have offered our support to help the provinces pursue their collective priorities. We have also made a commitment to increase funding to the provinces in order to—

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Wild Rose.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Myron Thompson, Reform, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this week members of the First Nations National Coalition for Accountability were in town. The Indian affairs minister says they do not have anything to worry about.

Now they are back home and already they are once again being threatened for speaking out against their chiefs and councils. When will the minister take some responsibility and protect these grassroots natives?

[Bob Nault, Liberal, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, it is news to me. If the member has any information as it relates to the accusations he continues to make, I suggest he bring it over here.

Export Development Corporation

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, an NGO group released a very troubling report on the activities of the Export Development Corporation.

The report points out that EDC has provided financial assistance for a number of environmentally disastrous projects: relocation of people in Colombia and China, pollution of rivers in the Philippines, threats to endangered species, and that is not all.

My question is for the Minister for International Trade. When will he require EDC to comply with Canada's official foreign policy and its international commitments?