Debates of May 1st, 2000

Human Rights

[Werner Schmidt, Reform, Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the gratuitous execution of Canadian Nguyen Thi Hiep by the Vietnamese government has shocked Canadians. The execution violated basic principles of human rights by failing to provide Nguyen with a fair trial and by carrying out the execution before investigations were complete.

With such blatant disregard for human rights one can only imagine the dreadful fate Ms. Nguyen's 74 year old mother faces as she serves a life sentence in a Hanoi prison.

Canadians in their outrage are calling on the government to exact a severe price and to review its co-operative agreements with Vietnam. On behalf of the Canadian Alliance, we extend our sympathies to the family of Ms. Nguyen. We call on all Canadians to continue to fight against human rights violations.

Canada must send a clear message to international governments to abandon such atrocities if they wish to carry on co-operative relations with our country.

The Late Jacques Beauregard

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, the mayor of Ferme-Neuve, Jacques Beauregard, who was working as an ambulance attendant at the time, lost his life in a tragic road accident.

I had the privilege of meeting the former mayor of Ferme-Neuve on a number of occasions. He was very involved in his municipality at a social, economic and community level.

Jacques Beauregard leaves a son, Martin, his spouse, Nicole Sarrasin, his father, Roger Beauregard, his mother, Madeleine, and three brothers.

Ferme-Neuve lost a mayor but, above all, a friend and a citizen who was deeply involved in his community. I wish to offer my sincere condolences to his family, his friends and the residents of Ferme-Neuve in their great loss.

Thank you Jacques for all your work. You will always be remembered in Ferme-Neuve and in the beautiful region of Labelle.

Laval University

[Hélène Alarie, Bloc, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, every day, globalization creates new challenges for workers and business leaders. Everyone must develop new skills. In this context, I pay tribute to an excellent initiative—the creation of a chair in international affairs management at Laval University in my riding.

The chair will help train qualified managers through support to regular programs and through the development of ongoing training activities tailored to the needs of companies. It will offer the services of trainees specializing in international management and student trade missions to explore international markets in partnership with industry.

Initial efforts will focus on the internationalization of technology-oriented SMEs, management of virtual enterprises, economic intelligence, and international marketing of educational products and services.

Congratulations to the founders and partners of this new institution.

Human Rights

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

Mr. Speaker, May 1 is hepatitis awareness day. I extend my personal thanks and my party's thanks to Mr. Joey Haché of Ottawa and Mr. Bruce DeVenne of Nova Scotia for bringing this very serious issue that affects over 300,000 people to the forefront in the country and for putting pressure where it belongs.

It is also international workers day. I remind the House that workers rights are human rights, from those of the rural route mail couriers throughout Canada fighting for collective bargaining, to the families of miners fighting for proper compensation from events such as the Nova Scotia Westray disaster.

It is time that the House recognizes the hon. leader of the federal New Democratic Party and support her Bill C-259 in order to lay corporate responsibility precisely where it belongs.

On behalf of New Democrats across the country, federally and provincially, I wish to thank all those workers who put in a hard day's work every day of the year.

International Workers Day

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois is proud today to mark International Workers Day.

In 2000, 39.5% of workers in Quebec and 32.2% of workers in Canada are unionized. In Ontario, 28% of workers are unionized and in the United States fewer than 15% are.

It should be noted that it is often the people who are not unionized and who are working in difficult conditions who are most vulnerable to various forms of abuse.

In addition, workers who lose their jobs have an increasingly difficult time qualifying for employment insurance, since the reforms of the Liberal government.

Finally, the new reality of the job market means that many workers are without union or legislative protection.

The Bloc Quebecois therefore promises to continue its fight to defend the rights of workers in Quebec and in Canada.

I wish everyone a Happy International Workers Day.

Occupational Health And Safety

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval West, QC]

Mr. Speaker, April 28 was the National Day of Mourning, a day set aside annually to remember workers who have lost their lives or been injured in the course of their employment in Canada.

The main purpose of this day is to show Canadians' concern about occupational health and safety.

The day is commemorated around the world. Although it began in Canada, the Day of Mourning is now marked in more than 70 countries.

The reality is of great concern. In Canada, it is estimated that 1 out of every 16 workers is injured on the job. This means someone is being hurt every 9 seconds. Every year, over 800,000 work-related injuries are reported. Most at risk are the young and the inexperienced.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of victims. We too feel the loss of their loved ones.

The Environment

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has the most dismal environmental record of the past century. In fact the Prime Minister has overseen Canada's worst environmental legislative agenda. His government has not introduced a single environmental initiative in the past seven years.

When it comes to species at risk Canadians want legislation that works. With no environmental bills to its credit, the Liberal government is in no position to deny input from stakeholders offering legislative advice on a plan to protect species at risk. This unprecedented consensus developed by environmentalists and industry stakeholders is known as the species at work working group. The government has ignored its recommendations.

The Progressive Conservative Party supports the recommendations put forward by SARWG and believes the legislation should provide for scientific listing and account for socioeconomic considerations when designing the recovery plan.

In addition, we believe the bill should apply to all lands except where equivalent provincial legislation exists. Equivalency would be negotiated on a species by species basis utilizing the framework—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Charleswood St. James—Assiniboia.

Canadian Executive Service Organization

[John Harvard, Liberal, Charleswood—Assiniboine, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend congratulations to two of my constituents who recently donated their time and talent overseas in the service of the Canadian Volunteer Advisors to Service, also known as CESO.

John Goodes volunteered in Ostra, Romania, where he developed a strategic economic development plan for this economically depressed community.

Bob Harvey went to Jelgava, Latvia, where he used his expertise to advise on the management of health insurance companies as Latvia implements a national health insurance program.

CESO is in its 33rd year of sending Canadian volunteers overseas. Last year the organization provided over 23,000 days of volunteer assistance.

Mr. Goodes and Mr. Harvey typify the many highly skilled Canadian volunteers who donate their time and talent to help around the world. It is because of the efforts of people like them that our country enjoys such a strong international reputation.

Human Resources Development

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is good to be back. People around the world are especially glad to see the Prime Minister back from the Middle East where his foreign affairs expertise can be contained within our own borders.

Four full months have passed since Canadians learned that the government bungled $1 billion. There has not been a resignation. There has not been a shuffle. There has not even been an admission of guilt.

Canadians are dropping their tax returns in the mail today and they want some answers.

Why should Canadians continue to send their hard earned tax dollars to the government when the Prime Minister has done absolutely nothing about the $1 billion boondoggle at HRDC?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the people of Canada are very pleased to see that the Canadian economy is working very well at the moment.

The people of Canada are extremely pleased that we have created more than two million jobs since we formed the government.

The Canadian people are very pleased that we took a deficit of $42 billion and turned it into a surplus of more than $10 billion.

The Canadian people are very happy that we are not obliged to change the name of our party.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the system does seem to be working very well for Liberals at least.

On February 4, 1997 a company called Mode Conili Star was incorporated. Three weeks later the member of parliament for Ahuntsic wrote a letter to the human resources minister lobbying for government grants for that company. On April 10 the company received three-quarters of a million dollars. Less than a month later and in the middle of an election campaign, Mode Conili graciously donated $7,000 to the member who helped them get the grant.

At what point does Liberal fundraising involve using Canadian tax dollars?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, everybody in Canada knows that when we have a campaign people contribute to political parties.

I discussed this issue in the United States last weekend when people were asking how campaign funds were raised in Canada. Everything is public. Everybody knows that any contribution above $100 has to be reported. When people have a good member of parliament, they are always happy to help that member of parliament.

[Chuck Strahl, Reform, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this is certainly out in the public and this is exactly what happened. The member for Ahuntsic personally lobbied the minister to give a grant to a company in her riding. That company then turned around and donated $7,000 to her election campaign. Mode Conili got $750,000 and the member for Ahuntsic got the single largest political contribution of her entire campaign. This is just another happy coincidence.

Why is it that when it comes to government grants Liberal candidates have found a gold mine while Canadian taxpayers get the shaft?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, members of the Reform Party do the same thing in their ridings. They try to help their constituents and when election time comes they ask these people to help them get re-elected.

What is happening at this time in the Reform Party, or whatever its name is today, is that its members are for sale and Bay Street is buying them.

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate my hon. colleague's sentiments. I am sure I speak for all Canadians when I say that I hope it will be a very long time before we see a sequel to the new show, Mr. Bean goes gaga in Gaza.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I ask the hon. member to go to his question.

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Ahuntsic raised nearly 10% of her election funds from Mode Conili. The Liberal Party also received donations totalling $2,000. The company had no history of donating to the member or to her party in the years leading up to the election. It just happened to donate after it got $750,000 in grants.

Are taxpayers to believe that this is just the latest in a long string of Liberal coincidences?

[The Speaker]

Order, please. The first couple of questions were getting a little bit close. We must go to the administrative responsibility of the government. I will permit the Right Hon. Prime Minister or the government House leader to answer the question if he so desires.

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

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member across will know, he and his party have contributed to the process. We all know that the electoral law applies to all members of parliament, to all Canadians contributing to political parties and even to candidates during an election campaign. He should not try to portray this in any way that suggests that this law is designed in any way to favour anyone over anyone else. It is a fair law and it applies to everyone right across the House of Commons.

[Jay Hill, Reform, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about here is the awarding of grants by this government. If that is not government business, I do not know what is.

Mr. Speaker, listen to this list: Confections St-Élie, Aérospatiale Globax, Placeteco, Fermco Industries and now Mode Conili. The list goes on. All these firms received HRDC grants and then donated cash to the Liberals. A full 33% of donors to the Prime Minister's campaign somehow got grants, but now we learn that backbenchers are just as lucky.

Why has taxpayers' money now become just another tool for Liberal fundraisers?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows, as we all do, that Canadians are free to donate to political parties during election campaigns. They are free to donate to political parties between elections and to candidates during election campaigns. This is the law of Canada. This is the law of the land.

I remind hon. members that Bill C-2 will be approved by the Senate, hopefully within a few weeks, and it even improves on the excellent law that we have already.

Council On Canadian Unity

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for a number of months, we have been asking to have the Council on Canadian Unity audited so taxpayers can find out how public money is spent there. The government refuses, even though the council is on the list of agencies to be audited.

How does the government explain its decision to exclude the Council on Canadian Unity from audits?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is not the case at all.

The Council on Canadian Unity will have some of its programs audited shortly, some funded by the Department of Human Resources Development and some by the Department of Canadian Heritage.