Debates of June 8th, 2000

Westray Mine

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the government acknowledges and understands that this is a very important issue. That is why we have taken this matter up with the Uniform Law Conference of Canada. I am also discussing this matter with my colleague the Minister of Industry, who obviously has a very direct concern and interest in any changes to our laws, be they criminal or otherwise, that deal with liability of corporate directors.

I appreciate the work done by the justice committee. We will be reviewing its recommendation in a timely fashion.

Devco

[Peter Mancini, NDP, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, a member of that committee will be watching.

On another matter, last night the Liberal government and Conservative Party joined forces to pass Bill C-11, an act dismantling the Cape Breton Development Corporation, which will have devastating effects on the Cape Breton economy. At third reading, I offered the government concrete suggestions to help rebuild the economy of Cape Breton, including making Cape Breton a location for public research facilities, like the National Research Council.

Will the government agree with my suggestions and commit to make Cape Breton a centre of environmental research excellence by locating any new research facilities on the island?

[George Baker, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, not only do we have ACOA, we also have the Cape Breton Economic Development Corporation. That corporation is doing a fantastic job in Cape Breton for the unemployed.

The Economy

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, a recent McGill University study ranked Canadian prime ministers since World War II in terms of their economic performance. That study found that Brian Mulroney was the best prime minister in terms of economic performance since World War II. It ranked this government and the Prime Minister dead—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please.

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member has just said would be the same as if he said because his grandmother has wheels, she would be a bus.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. We will hear the question.

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, a McGill University study ranked the Liberal government dead last and the Conservative government under the leadership of Brian Mulroney as number one because of policies like free trade and the GST which the McGill study credited as being responsible for the elimination of the deficit.

Why does the government not stop distorting the record of Brian Mulroney and start trying to improve its own economic record?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there are $42 billion, in other words 42 billion reasons why the hon. member is wrong, wrong, wrong. I think his question was written for him by the tooth fairy, if that is what he really believes in.

Nuclear Energy

[Alex Shepherd, Liberal, Durham, ON]

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

Ontario Power Generation is currently negotiating the sale of Canada's largest nuclear reactor to a foreign owned corporation. Given Canada's dependence on energy, is it appropriate to have our nuclear industry owned and controlled from outside our borders and is public safety being sacrificed on the altar of profit maximization?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, any sale or lease of any such facility to any other party, either domestic or foreign, would be subject to regulatory approval by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Dr. Bishop, the president of the commission, has confirmed that a licence cannot be simply transferred from one person to another; rather a new application must be made. Such an application must follow completely all commission procedures and be open to intervention by interested stakeholders. Indeed the full regulatory regime in Canada would apply to ensure that in every respect the Canadian public interest is protected.

World Petroleum Congress

[Dave Chatters, Reform, Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we know that there are foreign civil disobedience experts training protesters in Alberta in preparation for the World Petroleum Congress in Calgary.

After the experiences in Seattle and Windsor, I ask the solicitor general why is the government not rounding up these people and deporting them? Does it really think that Canadians support foreign agitators coming into Canada for the sole purpose of causing violence?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, it is the responsibility of the RCMP to provide public safety in this country and to support the other police forces across the country. That is exactly what the RCMP has been doing and what it will do.

Canada Day

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski—Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Canadian Heritage neglected to respond to my question on the budget for Canada Day celebrations outside Quebec.

However, since Quebec has received $5 million, the other provinces can expect to receive proportionally large amounts.

Unless this is a state secret—one never knows—would the minister do us the kindness of telling this House how much she intends to spend in the other provinces on Canada Day celebrations?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I want to say once again how pleased we are at our partnership with Quebec in Canada Day celebrations, beginning with Quebec's national holiday celebrations on Saint-Jean-Baptiste day, whose budget the Government of Quebec doubled this year.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

I am again very proud to be in partnership with the Saint-Jean-Baptiste society, which, through its president, contributed $350 to Canada Day. A fine partnership—Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Canada Day—a celebration for all Quebecers and for all Canadians.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Bev Desjarlais, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, while the government has just announced a new infrastructure program for municipalities to improve water safety, first nations are still waiting for their water issues to be addressed. Garden Hill in my riding of Churchill has a population of over 3,000 and no running water. Communities like Tadoule Lake, Oxford House and God's Lake Narrows are still waiting for modern water service and waste disposal systems.

Why is the Liberal government risking the lives of people in first nations communities by delaying the first nations water infrastructure program?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am shocked to hear the hon. member say this about her own riding, when in fact just last month I was up in her area talking to the first nations people, including the chief from Garden Hill.

The hon. member knows very well, or should know, that we are building a new water plant and have agreed to a new sewer and water system over three different phases worth $42 million. She should know that as the member representing that particular community.

The Economy

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, not only did the McGill study credit the former Mulroney government for its success in free trade and the GST and the success of those policies in turning the country around, but the Economist magazine, the world's foremost news magazine, has said that the only reason the current government was able to reduce and eliminate the deficit was the structural changes made to the Canadian economy by the previous government, that is, free trade and the GST.

How can the government take credit for the successes of free trade and GST when it was the Liberal Party and the current Prime Minister who actually campaigned against those policies?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I really feel sorry for the hon. member and his party if that is the best they can come up with for question period. No wonder they are running so far behind everybody else. What a sad relic of a once great party. It is too bad.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment saw yesterday that Irving Oil, one of Canada's largest refiners, is not only producing low sulphur gasoline for its own stations, but it is now distributing its product in Ontario.

If the minister wants to get the other refiners on board faster, then he should do what the automakers association, the refiners, health and environmental groups, and the Progressive Conservative Party want to do and that is to reduce the excise tax on low sulphur gasoline, thus reducing prices to consumers and protecting human health. We did this with lead.

Why will the Minister of the Environment not lower the taxes on low sulphur gasoline so we can protect the health of Canadians?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I hesitate to give yet another lesson to the Conservative Party, but as I must, it is in fact the Minister of Finance who handles taxes and not the Minister of the Environment. Perhaps this is lost on them.

Nevertheless, we are reducing the sulphur content of gasoline from the average of 360 parts per million to 30 parts per million. I applaud Irving Oil for taking steps in advance of the regulations coming into force.

That is the way we could work with progressive companies and the way we could indeed improve the health of Canadians. I would add that 15 parts per million is the figure—