Debates of June 2nd, 2000

Big Sisters

[Judi Longfield, Liberal, Whitby—Ajax, ON]

Mr. Speaker, remember when you were growing up? You probably had many role models: your parents, a teacher or coach, maybe an older sibling. They were your heroes, the people you most wanted to be like.

Unfortunately, not every child has someone like this in his or her life, but thanks to a wonderful group of women more and more children are now getting the chance to have someone to look up to. These heroes are called Big Sisters.

Big Sisters are caring adults who are dedicated to helping in the development of young girls. They understand the value of a nurturing friendship and the importance of an adult role model in these girls' lives.

A Big Sister is a mentor who cares about putting a smile on a special little girl's face. Anyone can be a Big Sister. All that is required is a willingness to enjoy fun and friendship with a child. Just three or four times per month is all it takes to make a difference. Single or married, parent or grandparent, anyone over 19 years of age should consider becoming a Big Sister.

On this national Big Sisters' Day, I urge all colleagues to join with me in congratulating Big Sisters everywhere.

Organized Crime

[Chuck Cadman, Reform, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, authorities in Vancouver just busted nine marijuana grow operations controlled by a Vietnamese organized crime group. They found 12 children in the homes they raided.

Sergeant Randy Elliot of the Organized Crime Agency says “Now they have no product, no cash and they will be owing somebody something. There is a problem for them here”.

That could signal another round of gun battles and violence in the streets of greater Vancouver. We have seen it many times before.

Statistics indicate that 85% of those recently arrested in relation to B.C. marijuana grow operations were of Vietnamese origin. We all know that the vast majority of Vietnamese immigrants to British Columbia and the rest of Canada are hard working, law-abiding folks who are assets to the communities in which they live and work. However, the small number involved in these criminal gangs is a blight on their community.

These merchants of misery are a scourge on our society. I think I speak for all Canadians, including the Vietnamese community, when I call upon the solicitor general and the ministers of justice and immigration to give us the legislation and the resources to get rid of these parasites.

Workplace Safety

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, if a drunk driver kills a pedestrian he is not only charged under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, he is charged with manslaughter under the Criminal Code of Canada. Yet if people kill 26 employees due to gross negligence and a wilful blindness to workplace safety, as in the case of Westray Mine, they walk away scot-free.

Justice Peter Richard, the chair of the Westray inquiry, directed parliament to amend the Criminal Code of Canada to make directors of business truly accountable for the working conditions in any enterprise under their direction.

The House of Commons concurred with Justice Richard's recommendation when it passed Motion No. 79 by an overwhelming majority.

The Canadian people want parliament to amend the Criminal Code of Canada so that when corporate greed leads to corporate murder there will be corresponding corporate accountability and corporate responsibility.

The government should implement the recommendations of the Westray inquiry, and it should do it in this session of this parliament without delay.

Children's Miracle Network Telethon

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday you welcomed to the House a very special group of people, young Canadian champions, children who have survived life threatening diseases and are now travelling across Canada to make Canadians aware of just how much their help is needed.

This weekend the Children's Miracle Network Telethon will be taking place across Canada. In Ottawa it will be at the Nortel Centre; a new high tech look, but the same story.

We all have the chance to make new champions, new children who survive life threatening illnesses. Please tune in to the Miracle Network Telethon. Please give generously.

St. Lawrence River

[Maurice Dumas, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to mention an initiative by the Secrétariat à la mise en valeur du Saint-Laurent, an agency of the Government of Quebec that promotes the St. Lawrence River in Quebec and elsewhere in the world.

We cannot overstress the importance of the St. Lawrence, when 60% of Quebec's population lives on its shores.

The economic impact of marine and port activities in Quebec is considerable, since they generate over $3 billion in business. We are talking here of 27,000 jobs and a payroll of over $1 billion.

The flag of the St. Lawrence serves primarily to remind us of the inestimable heritage the river represents and to encourage our collective pride of this major resource.

The flag is also a quality souvenir for important visitors, and serves as promotional material here and abroad.

Congratulations to the Secrétariat à la mise en valeur du Saint-Laurent.

Medical Research

[Stan Keyes, Liberal, Hamilton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations are in order for Dr. Stuart Connolly of McMaster University in Hamilton and his team of researchers.

In a study funded by the Medical Research Council and recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine , Dr. Connolly found that an older, simpler design of cardiac pacemaker is less expensive, more effective and safer than a newer, more complex type, which is welcome news to more than 10,000 Canadians who receive pacemaker implants every year.

This study shows the high quality of research being done across Canada, made possible through the expertise of our doctors and scientists, and through agencies like the Medical Research Council and the Canada research chairs program.

On behalf, I am sure, of every member of the House, I would like to recognize the excellent work that is being done by McMaster University and across the country by our researchers, doctors and scientists.

National Cancer Survivors Day

[Norman E. Doyle, Progressive Conservative, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, this Sunday, June 4, marks the 13th anniversary of National Cancer Survivors Day in North America.

Last year more than 700 communities across North America took part in this event, and once again the Canadian Cancer Society has arranged events and activities from coast to coast to celebrate the lives of cancer survivors.

The statistics surrounding cancer diagnosis are tragic. Fortunately, though, they are getting better. Approximately one in three Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. However, there is good news. More than half of all of those diagnosed with cancer now achieve full recovery. This day is set aside for them.

We rise today to honour those survivors and their families, and to once again thank the Canadian Cancer Society for its hard work in this area.

Airline Industry

[Gary Lunn, Reform, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the recent merger of Canada's two major airlines is causing Victoria's tourism industry to crash.

Hotel occupancy has dropped from 64% to 54% over the same period last year. In the month of August, which is the busiest time for tourism in Victoria, air service will be down with 18% fewer seats than over the same period last year and the prices will be higher.

The Mayor of Victoria, Allan Lowe, has travelled to Ottawa this week to remind the federal government that the significant reduction in air service to Victoria is hurting tourism.

The federal government seems to have once again forgotten where British Columbia is located. It does not seem to matter whether it is Nisga'a, wharf divestiture, Nanoose Bay, leaky condos and now tourism in Victoria, it seems to completely drop the ball and forget that British Columbia is part of Canada.

The government has promised to ensure that Air Canada lives up to its commitment to ensure that service is not reduced. It is time for the government to act. We are tired of the talk.

National Seniors Month

[Michelle Dockrill, NDP, Bras D'Or, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the month of June is National Seniors Month. This provides Canadians from all over the country an excellent opportunity to pause and reflect upon the numerous contributions that our seniors have made to society.

I find it unfortunate that the Liberal government does not want to recognize our seniors. Through its actions the Liberal government is ignoring the needs of seniors and throwing their rights away.

Cuts to health care, the high cost of prescription medication and other cuts to the services seniors depend on are making day to day life very difficult.

Seniors are also being hit economically. They have to rely on a pension system which is not reliable. They also have been penalized by the old age security clawback.

After living through the depression years and sacrificing their children to war, why is this the thanks they get?

I sincerely hope that in recognition of National Seniors Month the government uses the opportunity it now has to improve the lives of our seniors.

Forestry

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

Mr. Speaker, the forest industry in Nova Scotia is worth $1.5 billion to Nova Scotia's economy. A possible ban of export of red spruce would be devastating to the industry. Yet the government has allowed the brown spruce longhorned beetle infestation to occur in Point Pleasant Park. It has not put Canada food inspection phytosanitary requirements in place. They continue to allow infested wood to come in on container ships on the east and west coasts of Canada.

The Canada Food Inspection Agency has phytosanitary certificates required to bring wood in from foreign countries. We have phytos required to ship wood to Europe. Yet there is a major loophole in that legislation because we allow containers made from infected wood to come into Canada and be unloaded. The government has done nothing to stop that.

Either we have to start requiring phytosanitary inspected wood to be built into the pallets themselves—

[The Speaker]

Order, please. We will now proceed to oral questions.

Human Resources Development

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

Mr. Speaker, the HRD minister was not the only one in cabinet to get a slap from the Liberals on the human resources committee. The committee report urges the government to carve up HRDC just four years after the Prime Minister created it. Listen to what the Minister of Foreign Affairs said about the amalgamation at that time: “I am really talking about getting the best use of taxpayers' money”. The billion dollar bungle kind of puts that claim into a fresh light, does it not?

When the minister talked about the best use of taxpayers' money, did he really mean the best use for the Liberal Party?

[Bonnie Brown, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is referring to the report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development. That report was tabled only yesterday. The government is examining it. The minister wants to thank the members of that committee for their work. The government will respond to all the recommendations in due course.

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

Mr. Speaker, in due course. It was just four years ago that the government folded parts of five departments into one human resources development superministry. The Liberals' committee report slams that decision and therefore slams the minister's track record.

Billions of dollars have been spent on half-baked Liberal job creation schemes. Friends of the Prime Minister and other prominent Liberals have been the main beneficiaries.

Is splitting HRDC into several pieces not just another harebrained scheme to create jobs for cabinet ministers?

[Bonnie Brown, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, we have to forgive the member opposite. He has never attended a meeting of the HRDC committee and his question shows his lack of information.

The department was put in place in 1993. According to my arithmetic, that is not four years ago. The rest of his question is also based on faulty premises. Perhaps before he represents his party as the first questioner, he should make sure his facts are correct.

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

Mr. Speaker, just for the record, it was under Bill C-96 in 1996 that this superministry was created.

It would not matter how many pieces human resources is split into, the central problem is political interference. The minister bungled a billion dollars of taxpayers' money because her main concern was pleasing Liberals and friends of Liberals. No wonder. She learned well from the Prime Minister. Her program has never been about creating jobs. It was always about buying support.

How would the creation of even more political ministers lessen political interference?

[Bonnie Brown, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is forgetting the multitude of roles that HRDC fulfils. He is forgetting about all the recipients of old age security, employment insurance and all the statutory programs that come under that particular ministry. In so doing he is insulting the recipients, and all the workers of HRDC who are to be commended for their hard work in going through this barrage of criticism based on personalities that is the hallmark of the party opposite.

Treasury Board

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the president of the treasury board announced a revision of the guidelines with respect to grants and contributions. The minister displayed an extraordinary talent for impromptu comedy when she said, “The revised policy for grants and contributions is part of the government's ongoing commitment to spend Canadians' money wisely and judiciously”. Yeah, right. They never respected the guidelines before. Why should we believe that they will respect them now?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member ought to know that in fact this study was put into place a number of years ago as part of the ongoing guarantee that money would be spent wisely. In fact the study itself is very deep and profound. It is one that is going to affect the way in which this government operates.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we told the minister about a memo written by her own treasury board officials that talked about the need to whitewash future internal audits and minimize the PR damage that they could do to the government.

Now that the minister has had a chance to review that memo, I would like to ask her, or her replacement, why are her officials so concerned about damage control rather than spending control?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that the officials in the minister's department, in fact in all government departments, are concerned about good governance. They are concerned about controlling spending. The best example I can give is that government spending today is some $4 billion lower than it was when we took office in 1993.

Canada Information Office

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the real purpose of the Canada Information Office seems increasingly nebulous.

First, we were informed that the CIO's role was to inform Canadians on what the government does for them. Then we were told that the CIO's mission was to respond to misinformation propagated by the separatists. Finally, yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister told us that the CIO's purpose was to “build Canadian unity”.

If the CIO exists to inform Canadians, what is the purpose of the 1-800-O-Canada line? If it is to head off separatist misinformation, what is the purpose of the Privy Council? And if the CIO's mission is in fact to build Canadian unity, what is the purpose of the Council for Canadian Unity?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the 1-800-O-Canada line is to enable all Canadians across the country to get information and services from the Government of Canada by simply dialling that number. Their calls are handled by a person, not a machine.

The CIO's role is to co-ordinate the communications of the government, of every department, so that Canadians know what we do. The CIO is there to ascertain what their needs are and to meet them.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is easier to get answers when we provide them to the government. I will proceed in the same fashion with my supplementary.

The Canada Information Office awarded a contract without tender to Compex Cons. to provide an overview of the provincial laws on public consultation on constitutional amendments.

Can the minister tell us if the CIO awards this type of contract without tender: (a), to inform Canadians; (b), to counter separatist misinformation; (c), to build Canadian unity; (d), for all of these reasons; or, (e), for none of the above?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, first, as I have been repeating over the last few days, the CIO awards contracts in compliance with treasury board rules.

Second, the CIO can ask companies to do an analysis of the various bills of a provincial government to provide advice to the departments involved.