Debates of June 9th, 2000

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, let us look at what we have done. In the past two years we have increased the transfers to the provinces for health care by fully 25%. The transfers to the provinces are at an all time high. That is our commitment as demonstrated by what we have done. We have also said that when the provinces will join together with us to secure the future of the Canada Health Act there will be a lot more federal money on the table.

Canadian Military

[René Laurin, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on May 23, Brigadier General Richard Bastien announced in London before a group of Canadian parliamentarians that, in the fall of 2000, a contingent of some 100 Canadian military personnel will be standing on guard at Buckingham Palace in London.

Can the minister tell us how much this parade will cost the Canadian taxpayer?

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I will begin by thanking the hon. member for his question.

Unfortunately, I must tell him that I do not have the figures in front of me. Had he given me a few minutes of advance notice before question period, I could have obtained the figures he wanted.

I am going to obtain the figures and will then provide the answer.

Workplace Safety

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, for seven years the government has refused to proclaim part III of the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act. This means that the 500 or so employees on the Hill have no coverage whatsoever under any workplace safety and health legislation.

If the government claims to be concerned about workplace safety, when will it give royal proclamation to part III of the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act so that Hill employees will enjoy the same coverage that all Canadians enjoy?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will know that this issue has been brought before the Board of Internal Economy on several occasions in the past.

He will know of course that the House of Commons has established internal mechanisms to deal precisely with this issue outside of the act in question.

At the same time, all members of the House must surely know that the basic principle under which we operate is that it is parliament and members of the House that have to decide when parliament is sitting, when parliament can function. We could never relegate that responsibility to anyone else. It would be wrong and probably unconstitutional.

Canada Games

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

Mr. Speaker, very soon the region of Madawaska—Restigouche will be hosting the next Canada Games.

Can the minister tell the House today how negotiations are going with the host society and with the provincial government? Can he guarantee that the federal government will be at the plate to guarantee the best Canada Games ever?

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Secretary of State (Amateur Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the hon. member for his question.

Obviously, the Canada Games are probably the most successful event. This is an event where there is full co-operation between the provincial and federal governments. The Government of Canada is already investing close to $4 million over two years on the games. We are also paying all athletes' costs.

Last week, I met with Minister Robichaud during our first Atlantic conference on a national sports policy. We agreed to sit down together here in Ottawa with the responsible minister from New Brunswick two weeks from now. The Canada Games will be held in Campbellton in 2003.

[The Acting Speaker (Mr. McClelland)]

As question period comes to an end, it would be duplicitous of me to leave the impression with the House that the Chair has given its imprimatur to the use of the word duplicity in a cavalier fashion. It is a word that has spice but let us not throw it around capriciously.

This brings question period to an end.

Government Response To Petitions

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 12 petitions.

National Arts Centre

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

Madam Speaker, during its last appearance before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, National Arts Centre management volunteered to table a summary of its business plan and operating and capital expenditure budgets for 1999 to 2002.

On behalf of the National Arts Centre, I am tabling that document today.

Committees Of The House

[Stan Keyes, Liberal, Hamilton West, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Transport.

Pursuant to its order of reference of Thursday, June 1, 2000, your committee has considered Bill C-34, an act to amend the Canada Transportation Act.

Special thanks must be given to the men and women in the committee and legislative branch, especially my committee clerk, Guyanne Desforges, who pulled double and even triple duty in a very limited timeframe to achieve this result.

[Ivan Grose, Liberal, Oshawa, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour and, I might add, a little surprised, to present in both official languages the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

Pursuant to the order of reference of Tuesday, May 16, 2000, your committee has considered Bill C-18, an act to amend the criminal code (impaired driving causing death and other matters), and has agreed to report it without amendment.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present the 34th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the issue of confidentiality of the work of the legislative counsel.

I also have the honour to present the 35th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership on the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. If the House gives its consent, I intend to give concurrence in the 35th report later this day.

Energy Price Commission Act

[John Solomon, NDP, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-488, an act to establish the Energy Price Commission.

Madam Speaker, Canadians from all over the country are very concerned about price gouging, in particular with respect to gasoline and diesel fuel. The Canadian population does not believe the big oil companies. They are sick and tired of the Liberal's buck-passing on this issue.

We regulate stamps, cable television and many other things. The bill I am introducing today will indeed establish an energy price commission which will regulate the wholesale and the retail price of motor fuels, including diesel, propane, heating oil, natural gas and electric power.

The purpose of price regulation is to avoid unreasonable increases that affect the cost of living and depress business activity. The bill will facilitate reasonable consistency in prices from province to province allowing for production and distribution costs. The regulation further minimizes the risk of collusion in pricing, which many Canadians believe is happening, and prevents dominant suppliers from setting unreasonable prices.

The major objective of the bill is to provide some transparency in the pricing of fuel and energy. The refiners are not transparent and there are vertically integrated companies. I believe there has to be a time when the government stands up and takes some action to protect consumers, as this bill will.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Committees Of The House

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 35th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to present the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)]

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to)

Petitions

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to table in the House a petition signed by 243 constituents from the riding of Jonquière.

The petitioners call on the Canadian government to pass a resolution aimed at stopping the monopoly of the international oil cartel in order to reduce predatory pricing of crude oil, and to allocate sufficient funds to research into alternative energy sources so that, in the near future, Canadians would no longer be forced to turn to oil as a main energy source.

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Madam Speaker, I have the pleasure to table another petition addressed to the Canadian government and signed by 50 people.

The petitioners call on Parliament to take all necessary action so that Canadians and their representatives are consulted on the principle of importing MOX plutonium.

[Marlene Jennings, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC]

Madam Speaker, it is my honour and privilege to present a petition in the House today that contains several hundred signatures.

The petitioners, as citizens of Canada, are calling on parliament to consider and enact the legislation proposed in private member's bill, Bill C-388, that the House of Commons place a moratorium on the cosmetic use of chemical pesticides in homes and gardens, and on recreational facilities such as parks and golf courses, until scientific and medical evidence shows that such use is safe and has been presented to parliament and concurred in by a parliamentary committee.

[Gordon Earle, NDP, Halifax West, NS]

Madam Speaker, I am indeed pleased to rise to table three petitions. The first two are petitions from many Canadians who are concerned about the public health care system.

The petitioners recognize that the federal government is funding the health care system at less than 15% of the cost and that this has certainly opened the door to a two tier style American health care system.

The petitioners call upon the federal government to stop the for profit hospitals and restore federal funding for health care, and also to implement a national home care program and a national program for prescription drugs.

[Gordon Earle, NDP, Halifax West, NS]

Madam Speaker, the third petition also deals with health but it concerns the issue of automatic harvesting of organs at death for transplants.

The many people who have signed this petition recognize that the unavailability of organs for transplant causes a lot of difficulty, a long wait, undue suffering and compromised recovery for transplant recipients, and that there is a limited time window for the harvesting of organs.

The petitioners call upon the government to enact legislation to allow automatic harvesting of organs at death for transplants unless specific requests to the contrary have been made.

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have a petition signed by many of my constituents asking parliament to amend the Divorce Act to include the provision, as supported in Bill C-340, regarding the rights of spouses' parents, that is the grandparents, to have access to their grandchildren.

At present they are having some difficulties getting access to their grandchildren as a result of the death, separation or divorce of their children.