House of Commons Hansard #108 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was children.

Topics

Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal ActGovernment Orders

10:55 a.m.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Karetak-Lindell)

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

Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal ActGovernment Orders

10:55 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Nunavut Waters and Nunavut Surface Rights Tribunal ActGovernment Orders

10:55 a.m.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Karetak-Lindell)

I declare the motion carried.

Thank you very much for passing the bill.

(Motion agreed to, bill read the third time and passed)

Religious OrganizationsStatements By Members

10:55 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Philip Mayfield Canadian Alliance Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC

Mr. Speaker, the government's religious policy is Marxist. The latest assault on religion is forcing a 30% liability on four Canadian churches for damages caused 100% by the failure of the federal government Indian residential schools policy.

The government shut up the voice of Christianity at the Swissair memorial service. It prevented prayers at the service for the victims of the September 11 attack. The Liberals do everything they can to prevent the worship of God.

Historically churches built many of our hospitals and schools. They set up charities and provided social services. That is why the government co-opted them to help with these schools. Now the government does not care about the damage it causes Canadian churches and the services they provide.

The federal government forced aboriginal children to go to these schools for a century and then failed them and the churches with minimal support. It delayed the settlement for abuse claims for many years. Then it delayed the court cases by dragging the churches into lawsuits.

These churches will pay their fair share as far as the government is concerned, even if it kills them in the process.

Solange Chaput-RollandStatements By Members

10:55 a.m.

Liberal

Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Speaker, with the death of Solange Chaput-Rolland at the age of 82, Canada has lost a great woman.

Mrs. Chaput-Rolland lived her life with a passion. She was very interested in public affairs and was a journalist, an MNA, a senator and an author.

She came to our attention through her involvement in the periodical Point de vue , as a member of the Pépin-Robarts Commission on Canadian Unity, and as a writer of the television series Monsieur le ministre .

Solange Chaput-Rolland was deeply attached to Quebec and to Canada.

Because of her commitment and her outstanding achievements, she was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada and of the Ordre national du Québec.

Her contribution to the development of Canada was remarkable. She deserves our complete respect.

I wish to offer my condolences to the family of Solange Chaput-Rolland and to all the Quebecers and Canadians who mourn her passing.

MulticulturalismStatements By Members

November 2nd, 2001 / 11 a.m.

Liberal

Robert Bertrand Liberal Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle, QC

Mr. Speaker, this year is the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. The purpose is to seek ways in which different cultures and civilizations can communicate more effectively with one another. This cross-cultural understanding leads to acceptance and co-operation and is fundamental in the achievement of peace in our increasingly global society.

The goal is to go beyond mere knowledge of one another and encourage true interaction between civilizations. This is particularly important in conflict regions around the world but resonates everywhere. We all share the quest for a world in which cultural diversity is celebrated. A respect for human rights and freedoms is fundamental to achieving intercultural understanding.

I encourage all Canadians to take a moment to reflect on the ways in which we can encourage sharing between cultures, religions and ethnicities. It is vital particularly at this time that we seek understanding and acceptance of people from different communities both at a national level and in our personal lives.

Down's SyndromeStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Lawrence O'Brien Liberal Labrador, NL

Mr. Speaker, November 1 to November 7 is Down's Syndrome Awareness Week. The Canadian Down Syndrome Society and its affiliates will celebrate this week through fundraising and public awareness events. The purpose of this campaign is to raise the level of understanding of persons with Down's syndrome and to acknowledge the positive contributions they make to society.

Down's syndrome is a genetic condition that affects about one in seven hundred live births. Each individual is unique, with varying abilities and talents. With the right support individuals with Down's syndrome are capable of achieving a great deal. This week marks a celebration of their personal triumphs.

Often people with Down's syndrome must overcome social and personal barriers in order to realize their goals. Through our understanding, encouragement and inclusiveness we can do much to remove such barriers. I call on all Canadians to join in the celebrations this week.

Michael McCabeStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Sarmite Bulte Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Speaker, this week in Ottawa the Canadian Association of Broadcasters celebrated its 75th anniversary at its annual convention “Broadcasting 2001: Connecting Canadians, Community, Country”. During the convention outgoing president and CEO Michael McCabe was inducted into the Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Michael has been an important part of Canada's private broadcasting scene for more than a decade. Throughout his 13 year tenure he nurtured the growth and evolution of private broadcasters. Through his leadership he has built consensus in a very competitive industry. We offer Michael our congratulations.

Operation ApolloStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Keith Martin Canadian Alliance Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC

Mr. Speaker, the war on terrorism has touched all of our lives. On Monday, October 29, the HMCS Vancouver sailed out of my home port of Esquimalt. As the member of parliament representing the sailors and their families who call Esquimalt--Juan de Fuca home I have known these brave men and women for more than eight years.

We thank the individuals and the civilian support staff who train and work day in and day out, usually in silence and without fanfare, to make Canada and the world a safer place.

These individuals, like many others across our great land, are willing to put their lives in harm's way so we can have a safer world. Their bravery and courage is a beacon to all Canadians in this time of crisis.

On behalf of the House I wish the sailors and their families a successful journey but above all a safe journey that will bring them home alive and soon.

Aluminum IndustryStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Claude Drouin Liberal Beauce, QC

Mr. Speaker, the first aluminum was cast in Canada 100 years ago.

The first aluminum smelter was built in Shawinigan. Since then, the aluminum industry has grown considerably. It is based primarily in Quebec.

Canada does not have any deposits of bauxite, which is the primary raw material used in the production of aluminum. However, it has large hydroelectric installations which are favourable to the development of this industry, in addition to skilled labour and modern infrastructures.

Canada is one of the world's largest producers of aluminum. Clearly, this industry contributes to the economic wealth of our country. In addition to a large volume of exports, it provides over 15,000 direct and 6,000 indirect jobs.

In commemoration of this anniversary, the Prime Minister took part yesterday in the inauguration of Place Alcan and the unveiling of the wall of employees' signatures in Shawinigan. I join with him in congratulating the entire aluminum industry.

Cable Public Affairs ChannelStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Bloc

Antoine Dubé Bloc Lévis-Et-Chutes-De-La-Chaudière, QC

Mr. Speaker, since 1992 the Cable Public Affairs Channel, or CPAC, has made it possible for the public to follow the debates of the House of Commons.

Since it has a public mandate, CPAC's licence includes a requirement to reflect the linguistic duality of Canada, to present a balance between the various points of view and to represent the variety of regional opinions.

Even though 8.6 million homes can receive this channel, many communities in which there are sizeable French language minorities do not yet have access to CPAC programming in French.

As well, CPAC recently stopped the simultaneous interpretation of its prime time programming. Hence, production and distribution of its programming is therefore essentially in English.

The Bloc Quebecois demands that distribution of the CPAC service be regulated by the CRTC in order to ensure equality of access in both official languages.

Canada Institutes of Health ResearchStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Raymonde Folco Liberal Laval West, QC

Mr. Speaker, AIDS is an epidemic that knows no borders and affects millions of people throughout the world.

Unfortunately, no fully effective weapons against this terrible scourge have yet been found.

The OPTIMA study, a three year international clinical trial program mobilizing researchers funded jointly by Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, will help us find responses to one difficult question.

Why do so-called drug cocktails halt the development of AIDS in some people and not in others?

The Canadian team is composed of Dr. William Cameron, chief researcher; Dr. Joël Singer, the trial statistician; and Aslam Anis, health economist.

I am proud to belong to a government that had the foresight to create an organization like the CIHR and to encourage international collaboration such as this.

Investing in research today stands to benefit all Canadians tomorrow.

TerrorismStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Deepak Obhrai Canadian Alliance Calgary East, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Middle East crisis calls for a balanced approach. Terrorism in any form should be condemned. While timely, the trip to the Middle East by the Minister of Foreign Affairs did not produce many results.

Israel has a right to protect its citizens but the same rights also apply to Palestine. Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain said:

--no matter what the cause is, no matter how passionately people believe in a cause, nothing can justify killing thousands of people in cold blood in New York or anywhere else in the world.

We cannot justify through the Palestinian cause what happened in America. We must address the problems and the injustices in the Palestinian region. We must encourage the revival of peace talks and bolster support for the international coalition against terrorism.

The official opposition calls for a truce and for negotiations on both sides to end the unnecessary killing of civilians everywhere. All countries including Israel and the Palestinian authority have an obligation to their citizens to negotiate peace. Peace must prevail at this crucial time when the world is engaged in a war against terrorism.

World War IIStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB

Mr. Speaker, this week in Belgium a Canadian delegation attended the burial of two second world war soldiers, Private Charles Joseph Beaudry and Private George Robert Barritt. It was a moving event. These two young soldiers who gave their lives for Canada will finally lie with their comrades in arms.

Private Beaudry was from Dalhousie, a small town in northern New Brunswick. Private Barritt was from Runciman, Saskatchewan. These two young Canadians were brought together in terrible circumstances and are now laid to rest with all the honours that were due.

It is fitting as we prepare for Veterans Week 2001 to remember them and all those who sacrificed so much that we may live in peace and freedom.

We are greatly in their debt, and our country is better and more just because of the sacrifice they made.

The EconomyStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

NDP

Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, the 1990s will surely go down in history as the decade of corporate greed. Executive pay jumped 570% between 1990 and 2000 for the CEOs of Standard & Poor's top 500 companies. The explosion of CEO pay over the decade dwarfed the 37% growth in workers' pay.

According to Business Week CEO pay now stands at 531 times the pay of the average worker. If the average annual pay for production workers had grown at the same rate since 1990 their average salary would be $170,000 a year. The minimum wage would be $35 an hour.

When productivity goes up and profits go up, workers' wages are supposed to go up. That was the deal. That was the post-war labour accord. Capital has broken that compact and in their frenzy of wretched excess corporate executives have left any semblance of compensation fairness behind.

Employment InsuranceStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Bloc

Jocelyne Girard-Bujold Bloc Jonquière, QC

Mr. Speaker, once again the Liberals have reneged on one of their many election promises. This time, however, the cost will be borne by the unemployed.

After grand promises that they would change the employment insurance plan, the Liberals quickly forgot what they had promised.

Recently, the Minister of Human Resources Development responded to the unanimous report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development, which advocated greater flexibility for the self-employed and for older and seasonal workers. The minister has not acted on a single one of the 17 recommendations.

With surpluses of nearly $40 billion in the employment insurance fund, the Liberals could have acted on all of the committee's recommendations. It is easy to manage a program when you do not spend the money on what it was collected for.

The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Human Resources Development are happy to steal from the country's unemployed and turn a cold shoulder to their problems.

More dead end election promises.

Reuven BulkaStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

Mac Harb Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Dr. Reuven Bulka recently became the first ever recipient of the Scouts Canada National Salute Award. This prestigious award was created to honour business and community leaders who exemplify scouting principles of character and leadership in their daily lives.

As a model citizen, spiritual leader and humanist Rabbi Bulka is the epitome of this award. Whether it be the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Kidney Foundation of Canada or the United Way, no cause is too small or too great for Rabbi Bulka.

After the tragic events of September 11 when people of all faiths lost their lives in a senseless act of violence I recall Rabbi Bulka praying for tolerance, understanding and love for one another.

Peace building requires leadership at every level of society. It requires positive and constructive energy. At the heart of every nation lie people of strength and conviction, so we are truly blessed to have Rabbi Bulka in our community.

St. John's Anglican ChurchStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Gerald Keddy Progressive Conservative South Shore, NS

Mr. Speaker, yesterday a devastating fire in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, destroyed St. John's Anglican Church, the second oldest Anglican church in North America, a provincial heritage property and a national historic site.

It started in 1754 when the church's oak frame was brought from Boston. The church was built over a period of nine years by shipwright carpenters. An integral part of Lunenburg, St. John's was well known for its nativity scenes at Christmas and its 10 bells that rang daily at 2 p.m. It was also the burial site for some of the earliest settlers in the area.

I commend Lunenburg Fire Chief Terry Conrad and firefighters who battled the blaze. Although unable to save the structure, firefighters, church members and area residents managed to remove the hand carved altar and other artifacts.

Today our thoughts go out to church rector Reverend Irving Letto and Lunenburg residents. They as well as all Canadians have lost an important part of our heritage.

Remembrance DayStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

Roy Cullen Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Mr. Speaker, few symbols carry as much meaning and emotion as the scarlet poppy. Since November 1921, Canadians have been wearing the poppy as a symbol of their remembrance of the sacrifice Canada made for peace.

Poppies are our way of paying tribute to the men and women who lost their lives in wars and in peacekeeping missions.

Throughout the world, countries and legions have adopted the poppy as the symbol of remembrance.

Each year the Royal Canadian Legion poppy campaign provides over 13 million poppies to Canadians. The money raised from donations helps to provide immediate assistance to ex-service men and women in need, often including food, shelter or medical support for them and their families.

I call upon all Canadians to show their support for those who have fallen by wearing a poppy.

Christian HeritageStatements By Members

11:15 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

David Anderson Canadian Alliance Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Mr. Speaker, the present leadership of this country consistently disregards our Christian heritage. Indeed it is that Christian heritage that has protected the rights of minorities in Canada and gives Canadians the right to believe as they choose, unlike the situation which exists for so many people in other areas of the world.

Even today, Christian organizations work around the world to bring tolerance and to improve the lives of people who are less fortunate than themselves. A good example is Samaritan's Purse that has just held its annual Operation Christmas Child Shoebox program on Parliament Hill.

For some reason the government seems determined to disconnect Canadians from both the heritage and the present faith of so many Canadians. The pattern is consistent: the Swissair memorial service where it was forbidden to mention the name of Jesus Christ; the September 11 memorial service where the only mention of God was in the national anthem; the recent demand that churches turn their mortgages over to the government; and now the government's weak response to the burning of the church in Lunenburg.

The present leadership supposedly rejects intolerance. Why would it demonstrate it in such an important area?

Anti-Terrorism LegislationOral Question Period

11:15 a.m.

Okanagan—Coquihalla B.C.

Canadian Alliance

Stockwell Day Canadian AllianceLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice finally is saying that she is willing to amend some of the more glaring problems with the legislation she is bringing in.

Some people are saying the legislation goes too far. Some are saying it does not go far enough. Our security forces desperately need a provision which the minister refuses to put in; that is the provision to extradite those who are in Canada who have been charged or convicted with terrorist offences.

Will the minister change the legislation so that we can extradite those who are here for the wrong purposes? They must be extradited.

Anti-Terrorism LegislationOral Question Period

11:15 a.m.

Vancouver Quadra B.C.

Liberal

Stephen Owen LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, we have provisions now in the Immigration Act, section 40, which allow for the deportation and removal of people who have been suspected of terrorist activities. We have mutual legal assistance treaties with many countries. We have extradition treaties with many countries.

Bill C-36 also addresses the issue of people who facilitate terrorist activity as described. These people can be detained and they can be extradited or deported in the appropriate circumstances.

Anti-Terrorism LegislationOral Question Period

11:15 a.m.

Okanagan—Coquihalla B.C.

Canadian Alliance

Stockwell Day Canadian AllianceLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, that just is not accurate. There are no extra provisions for extradition.

One thing that fugitive criminals can count on when they arrive in Canada is that the federal Liberals will be there to protect them. It is time we put more emphasis on the rights of law-abiding citizens.

Will the minister stand and say that new provisions will be in place so that those who are convicted or charged with terrorist activities can be extradited to those countries where they have to face those charges?

Anti-Terrorism LegislationOral Question Period

11:15 a.m.

Vancouver Quadra B.C.

Liberal

Stephen Owen LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-36 allows the Government of Canada to implement more than 12 international conventions dealing with terrorism. Many of those provisions allow for extraterritorial charges to be laid and proceeded with in Canada, but also provide obligations for extradition where appropriate.

Anti-Terrorism LegislationOral Question Period

11:15 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Stockwell Day Canadian Alliance Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC

This is extraordinary, Mr. Speaker. If the government is prepared to amend its anti-terrorism legislation, it must provide our police forces with the tools they require to combat terrorism.

Unlike the U.S. and the U.K. legislation, this one does not make it illegal to belong to a terrorist organization.

Will the minister amend her legislation in order to ensure that belonging to a terrorist organization is considered a criminal offence?