Debates of May 1st, 2000

Human Resources Development

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

Mr. Speaker, I certainly would not agree with the comments of the hon. member.

If we look at this project, it was brought forward by the city of Windsor as part of its strategic plan. In partnership with the Human Resources Development Canada people in that area, they identified 37 men and women who were on employment insurance, who did not want to stay at home collecting benefits, but wanted an attachment to the workplace, to get experience in landscaping, in laying bricks and in planting trees.

What we now have is a vast majority of those 37 people working, and we have a legacy in the city of Windsor of which all are proud.

[Val Meredith, Reform, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I think Canadians want to know, if this program is so good in providing these jobs skills for people, why did only 20% of the funds go to job creation and preparing for jobs? Why did 80% of those funds go to something else?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me confirm that this project was fully in compliance with the terms and conditions of the job creation program.

I would ask the hon. member, if we want to provide 37 men and women with the skills and experience they need to get full time jobs in landscaping, how would they do that if they did not have bricks, if they did not have trees, if they did not have resources?

Cinar

[Yvan Loubier, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, one cannot talk about voluntary disclosure in the case of CINAR, since it was the Bloc Quebecois' questions that brought the issue brought to the government's attention.

Under the circumstances, could the Minister of National Revenue assure us, beyond any doubt, that no arrangement will be concluded under the voluntary disclosure program with CINAR or with any of the bogus companies involved with CINAR, since whistle blowing was required to bring the whole issue to light?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, again, at the risk of repeating myself, I cannot make specific comments on CINAR. However, I wish to refer to the fairness initiative put forward by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency of which I am very proud and which includes several points.

That initiative includes what is called voluntary disclosure. It goes without saying that the notion of voluntary disclosure implies an initiative, a positive action taken by an individual or a corporation.

[Yvan Loubier, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is using confidentiality to avoid answering, but is he not using it to protect CINAR and put a lid on the whole issue?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, again, as I said, the Income Tax Act applies to all Canadians, it applies to all individuals and corporations.

People clearly understand and support the principle of confidentiality, a principle which I will uphold as Minister of National Revenue.

Also, as I said before, voluntary disclosure is a positive action. The government or any other entity must not have already taken measures to recover funds belonging to the state.

Health

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in a Montreal hospital a wealthy Moroccan patient was able to buy heart surgery for $60,000. At the same time, 635 Canadians were on the waiting list for the same surgery at the same hospital in Montreal.

Why does this rich foreigner get to jump the queue while Canadians die waiting for the same surgery?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the member will know that the management of hospitals is in either regional or provincial hands.

The member should also know that if the question of money were the only issue, we should remember that the Government of Quebec has some $800 million from last year's budget still sitting in a bank account in Toronto.

If money were the only answer, then that problem would be solved.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, obviously that money was for five years and it is just using prudent management in terms of spending.

The member constantly hides behind the Canada Health Act. At the—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[An hon. member]

That is pretty rude of that bunch over there.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I agree with the hon. member. There is a bit of rudeness on both sides.

[Bob Mills, Reform, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister hides behind the Canada Health Act. At the same time, the government has cut funding, it has failed to modernize the decaying system and it has forced hospitals to look at alternate types of funding.

Again, why is the government letting foreigners jump the queue to buy complex surgery while Canadians are forced to wait on the sidelines?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, if this hon. member is to be the critic for the Canadian Alliance, he had better do his homework. He would find out that over the last 14 months the government increased by $14 billion the amount available to the provinces for health. This government has health as its priority.

The Reform Party would insist that we respect provincial jurisdiction, and indeed we do. When the provinces come to us to talk about improvements to the health care system, it means more than just more money; it means better management. We are prepared to work with our provincial partners to make sure that happens.

Canada Labour Code

[Christiane Gagnon, Bloc, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the case of pregnant women's entitlement to preventive withdrawal from the workplace, women covered by the Canada Labour Code do not have the same rights as those under the Quebec Labour Code. This injustice can be promptly remedied if the minister has the political will to do so.

Will the Minister of Labour commit to entering into an administrative agreement with her Quebec colleague, as soon as possible, so that all women workers in Quebec will have the same entitlement?

[Claudette Bradshaw, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, the Quebec Minister of Labour and myself are still at the stage of discussing conditions, particularly the working conditions of the women of Quebec and of Canada. I will be delighted to sit down with her to discuss this situation.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Can she inform the House whether she intends to make representations to CBC-Radio Canada so as to ensure the retention of its local and regional programs?

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

Mr. Speaker, I believe my hon. colleague will acknowledge that the CBC is an independent body. It would be inappropriate for the government to tell it what to do. This would, essentially, be interfering.

Moreover, CBC President Rabinovitch acknowledged during his appearance before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in February that the corporation had a mandate to represent the country's regions.

Canadians are free to contact Mr. Rabinovitch, or members of the board, to voice their concerns about future decisions.

Organized Crime

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, operation sidewinder revealed that the Chinese government and Asian criminal gangs have been working hand in hand to set up shop in Canada. Their goals were to influence Canadian politicians, steal high tech secrets, launder money and gain control of legitimate Canadian companies.

Canadians want to know why CSIS shut down operation sidewinder in 1997.

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague seems to forget a little too quickly that the report released after this affair was released jointly by the RCMP and CSIS. Therefore, this is an illustration of the co-operation between these two agencies.

I must also point out that the Security Intelligence Review Committee, SIRC, is currently reviewing the matter. Once it hands in its report, we will be delighted to examine it together.

[Jim Abbott, Reform, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the sidewinder report obtained by the Globe and Mail called this one of the greatest ongoing threats to Canada's national security and Canadian industry. The parliamentary secretary is correct in that it was a joint task force of the RCMP and CSIS. They recommended expanding it to include the Departments of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Immigration. Instead of expanding it, CSIS shut it down and we want to know why.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. It gives me the opportunity to say something I have wanted to say for some time.

On the subject of international co-operation to protect the security of Canadian territory, Janet Reno, the United States attorney general, contacted our solicitor general to congratulate him on the co-operation she received from the RCMP and CSIS in resolving problems of international terrorism.

Sometimes, perhaps it is worth seeing the glass as half full.

Post-Secondary Education

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians value and believe in our universal health care system and the right to education. Day after day we have taken this government to task to stand up for medicare and to stop privatization. Now Canadians are facing not just the threat of a two tier health care system but two tier education.

I want to ask the Prime Minister is he going to stand by and do nothing or will he say loud and clear that this government will not allow private universities and that funding will be restored for our public institutions to make sure that there is accessibility for students? Will he do that?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is always working together with its provincial counterparts on a variety of issues involving education and anything else. The hon. member opposite will know that we have increased the government transfers under CHST. Contrary to the allegations made by several members, including those in her caucus, the amounts received by the provinces are not less now; they are greater than what they were when we came to power in 1993.