Debates of Sept. 20th, 2000

Grain Transportation

[Dale Johnston, Reform, Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the minister has not noticed that the workers have been without a contract since January and they are frustrated. Of course, the grain companies are frustrated too. The farmers have had it right up to their ears.

With low commodity prices threatening to put many grain farmers completely out of business, I would think it is about time that the minister changed the code so that there would be a dispute settlement mechanism whereby these things could be nipped in the bud before they became a crisis.

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I find it very interesting that the opposition across the way does not believe in the collective bargaining process.

The collective bargaining process is in action. Let us hope that it works well. If it does not work well, then we will have to deal with it when that happens. We cannot be premature and start dictating to somebody what they should and should not do. The collective bargaining process is there. It has worked in the past and I am confident it will work now.

Budgetary Surplus

[Lorne Nystrom, NDP, Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.

The Minister of Finance put all the surplus into paying down the national debt, but he had a choice. He chose the bondholders of Bay Street before paying down the human deficit in this country. He chose the bondholders of Bay Street before putting more money into health and education. He chose Bay Street before helping the farmers and helping poor people in this country.

I want to know why the Minister of Finance chose his friends on Bay Street instead of paying down the human deficit by putting money into programs for people in this country.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, let me simply explain the balanced approach to the hon. member.

He may well remember that in the budget we put $900 million more into the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. At the year end we put more money into western and eastern agriculture. In that same budget we put $2.5 billion into transfers to the provinces for health care. It is that surplus which will allow us to finance the very large funding of $21 billion to $23 billion in transfers to the provinces in the agreement signed by the Prime Minister and the premiers two weeks ago.

[Lorne Nystrom, NDP, Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my question then goes to the right hon. Prime Minister.

This morning the Minister of Finance said he was advised by his friends on Bay Street as to what to do with the surplus. Of course, the surplus going to the debt would help his friends on Bay Street and that is exactly what the minister did.

I ask the Prime Minister, is this not a conflict of interest? Is it not a conflict of interest for the finance minister to give the money to an institution that would help his friends? Should the minister not resign because of that?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I do not like the insinuation. I think that the Minister of Finance has shown how honourable he is and how objective he has been over the last six years.

I have to tell hon. members that he recited a long list of agreements and payments that we are giving in the social field. There is the health agreement. We have invested a lot of money in the children's agenda since we have been here. We have invested in research and development, high technology for connecting all Canadians, the millennium scholarship program and I could go on and on. I will always be happy when we can pay the debt in Canada because we are paying the mortgage that the previous generation put on the children of today.

Fisheries

[Angela Vautour, NDP, Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans confirm in this House that if an agreement is reached in Burnt Church today, or tomorrow—we hope it will be as soon as possible—that agreement will provide that commercial fishing is subject to the same season and the same rules for all fishers, so as to ensure that the conservation of the lobster fishery is a priority?

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, let me repeat what I said earlier. As the hon. member knows, Mr. Rae is the mediator who was trying to bring the communities together. He has reported that Burnt Church first nation has agreed to substantially reduce the number of traps in the water in Miramichi Bay. This is a good step. We will watch to make sure that happens. It will really be in the action and not the words. I have always said that we want to make sure that all of the traps that are out there are authorized and legal. Any that are not authorized are illegal fishing and we will take steps to make sure that we deal with unauthorized and illegal fishing.

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

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Rae cannot guarantee a peaceful solution to the crisis in Burnt Church. The House has a right to know if the minister has a plan b and if so, what is it?

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, of course the government always has plans to deal with situations that do not work out. The hon. member should know because I have gone to the fisheries committee. I have laid out the direction in our response to Marshall. Obviously he is not listening.

Let me quote for him a Progressive Conservative member who said “I congratulate and support the federal fisheries minister in accepting his responsibility and exercising his powers”. This was said by John Crosbie, the former fisheries minister.

Northern Ireland

[Pat O'Brien, Liberal, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Peter Mandelson, the British secretary of state for Northern Ireland, met with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance and several parliamentary groups.

Could the parliamentary secretary explain to the House the efforts that Canada has been making to the peace process in Northern Ireland, including its efforts to reform policing in that part of Ireland?

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has encouraged and participated in the peace process at all levels. Canada has contributed $1 million to the international fund for Ireland.

Eminent Canadians have been actively involved in the peace process. General John De Chastelain, for example, heads the independent international commission on decommissioning. Secretary of State Mandelson said yesterday of General De Chastelain “John De Chastelain was head of the decommissioning body for some years. He is a man who commands great trust in Northern Ireland. He has immense authority and credibility”.

Trade

[Deepak Obhrai, Reform, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the WTO drug patent ruling is yet another example of the government wasting valuable time and money on a senseless dispute before the WTO. Canada's own negotiators involved with the TRIPS agreement said in May that this was an open and shut case. Yet the minister went ahead with an appeal that he knew would be lost when his priority should have been to inform Canadian consumers of the impact of the WTO decision. Why?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, we received the answer from the WTO panel and did not particularly like it. I was disappointed with the decision. I am very relieved, however, that that particular decision will not force Canada to change substantially the overall balance of our present legislation.

Importation Of Mox

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Natural Resources keeps repeating that the importation of MOX does not pose any risk.

Yet Dr. Gilles Grenier, who is an expert on emergency situations relating to nuclear accidents, recently said that new confidential data at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited basically match the worse case scenarios described by those who oppose the project.

In light of this new information, does the Minister of Natural Resources still believe that there is no risk for the population?

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

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman to whom the hon. member refers made some comments during the open public comment process. AECL took those comments into account and responded to them during the process.

It is now in the hands of the Department of Transport as the regulator to determine whether all of the circumstances are sufficient to allow the transportation to occur. I have every confidence that Transport Canada will discharge its responsibilities in the public interest.

Employment Insurance

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, today, the Minister of Finance announced an unexpected surplus of $12 billion.

Out of that $12 billion, $7.5 billion comes from the employment insurance fund and from those who have lost their jobs.

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development. Since on May 9 the House of Commons unanimously supported a review of the employment insurance program, will the minister wait until the eve of an election to make changes to the employment insurance program for the benefit of the Liberals, or will she act immediately for the benefit of Canadian workers?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member talks about immediate action. Let me describe to him the things that we are doing in his community in the Acadian Peninsula. I was there with the Minister of Labour and together we met with employees and employers. There are very active community groups in that part of New Brunswick where the unemployment levels have been significantly high. We are getting real results.

Health

[André Bachand, Progressive Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, bad news for the Prime Minister: thanks to his Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister has broken yet another Liberal promise, the one about the 50:50 ratio for the budget surplus. This is bad news for the Prime Minister.

The Minister of Finance is hiding future surpluses from the Prime Minister because he knows him so well. This is bad news for the Prime Minister, but that is how things are between them.

For the benefit of Canadians, could the Minister of Finance tell the House today that he will use the anticipated surpluses to hand over to the provinces the money agreed on in last week's health agreement now?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan and we are following it. Fortunately, the economy is exceptional and future generations will be the ones to benefit because the debt will go down.

As for the money that will be given to provincial governments, I signed an agreement with them last Monday, and all of them were happy. Money is available starting this year for the purchase of equipment and for other parts of the program.

As for the global transfers, they will begin next year. All of the provincial governments were happy and they included representatives of all parties. The member should perhaps realize that, when there is an agreement—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam.

Western Economic Diversification

[Lou Sekora, Liberal, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Secretary of State for Western Economic Diversification.

I heard a lot about the regional agencies and their role and effectiveness in the Canadian economy. Does western diversification have a valuable role to play in the western economy?

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification)(Francophonie)]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Government of Canada, my department has invested $2.3 billion in the western economy since its inception. With its partners it has created the tools that have permitted the western economies to diversify in a significant kind of way.

Last week I was in the western provinces, particularly in British Columbia. I was told that one of the tools developed, the Community Future Development Corporations, has produced 10% of the new jobs in British Columbia over the last few years.

The department also comes to the aid of communities in crisis such as the west coast fisheries and the Red River flood.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

They really do not want to hear the good news. We are proud of the record of the western economic diversification.