Debates of Nov. 21st, 2001

National Defence

[Brian Pallister, Canadian Alliance, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Unbelievably, Mr. Speaker, fully two-thirds of Canada's Hercules transport aircraft are not aircraft at all because they cannot fly. They are grounded.

Yesterday the Minister of National Defence told secretary Donald Rumsfeld in Washington that our troops will be sent “when they are ready”. Well they are ready but their aircraft are not and the government over there is to blame.

Is not the real reason we cannot get Operation Apollo off the ground is that we cannot get our transport aircraft off the ground?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

That is not the case at all, Mr. Speaker. The coalition is attempting to work out the details of the operation for the 1,000 person deployment that will go to Afghanistan for humanitarian aid purposes.

We do have aircraft over there that are really quite useful. We have ships over there, so Operation Apollo is in full swing. Canadians are making a contribution to the coalition effort in the fight against terrorism.

[Brian Pallister, Canadian Alliance, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, aircraft and ships are fine if aircraft can fly, but the fact of the matter is ours cannot and the government does not seem to get it.

Our air transport fleet is so frail that it took us three tries to reach East Timor with just one plane. It is no secret that the commander of the Canadian task force in Kosovo, colonel Michael Ward, called our airlift portion “near catastrophe”.

The fact is the government has not got it yet. The failure to replace Canada's military aging transport aircraft is embarrassing. It is embarrassing to Canadian troops. It is embarrassing to Canada's reputation around the world. It has shown Canada as the weak sister in the coalition against terrorism.

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we would not use Hercules aircraft to take over the 1,000 men troops in any event.

The hon. member fully misunderstands what the Hercules are used for and what strategic lift is about. We do have airbuses that take our troops over. We need larger aircraft which we have always been able to get before. We have always been able to get our troops over. Our troops have always made a very solid contribution. We should be proud of them, not running them down in the way the opposition does.

Amateur Sport

[Richard Marceau, Bloc, Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on October 13, 2000, the Secretary of State for Amateur Sport announced with great fanfare that $1 million would be invested over a five year period to develop national training centres, including $500,000 for the freestyle skiing centre of Lac Beauport. The Quebec government has already made its contribution. However, despite the commitments of the secretary of state, Ottawa has yet to make its contribution and it is unduly delaying the completion of the Lac Beauport project.

I am asking the Minister of National Revenue what the government is waiting to make its contribution, which still has not been paid one year after the announcement?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, as is often the case, the Quebec government is making announcements without necessarily having thoroughly examined the issues, leaving it to the Canadian government to later properly assess the situation.

The issue is being examined by both Canada Economic Development and the department responsible for amateur sport. We are reviewing the issue in the global context of Quebec's economic development.

In recent years, we have invested massively to put Quebec in a sound position as regards the new economy, research and development, and job creation.

We will have an answer as soon as the review of this issue is completed.

[Richard Marceau, Bloc, Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk indeed about the circumstances. Oddly enough, the announcement and the promises were made by the secretary of state just before the election campaign. Athletes from Lac Beauport and the Quebec City region are still waiting for the promised money.

What is the government waiting to come up with that money?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, let us do a bit of history here. If my memory serves me right, before a provincial election campaign, the Quebec government announced that more than $10 million would be earmarked for the Petite-Rivière-Saint-François ski centre. As usual, that commitment was conditional on the participation of the Canadian government.

When we looked at the issue, we realized that not half of the studies had been conducted properly. We worked seriously and took action at the appropriate time. This is what we will do in this case.

High Tech Industry

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the industry minister is pushing so hard for his billion dollar broadband project that he is making people in the high tech sector very uncomfortable.

High tech players are questioning the minister's tactics, which include having his officials write press releases for them soliciting support for the minister's pet project.

Will the Prime Minister tell his industry minister to stop putting the high tech sector in the middle of this Liberal leadership campaign?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, high tech and new technology have been extremely important for the government. We have managed to be the first big country to have all the schools, universities and libraries connected.

We want to carry on because we want to be competitive. I know the opposition party has no interest in the long term development of Canada.

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government is obviously not connecting with the Canadian people.

Last week a Compass poll said that business leaders found the minister's innovation spending proposals very unpopular. A Léger poll reported just yesterday that ordinary Canadians prefer tax cuts to government spending.

Yesterday the Prime Minister intervened in his party's campaign warning leadership hopefuls to back off their campaigns because it was hurting the economics of the Liberal Party. Will he apply the same standard and rein in his industry minister because he is hurting the economy of the country?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if I were from the Alliance I would never refer to any polls. We are praying that they have good leadership. Every morning we pray that they will keep the same leader.

Crime Prevention

[Jean Augustine, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, people in my riding of Etobicoke--Lakeshore and across Canada are concerned about crime in their communities.

Could the Minister of Justice inform the House of the measures that she has taken with the national crime strategy and how that strategy is helping communities in Toronto and across Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, it was with great pleasure that I visited the riding of the hon. member for Etobicoke--Lakeshore on November 8. I had the opportunity to announce additional funding of $2.7 million for 65 new grassroots community based crime prevention projects in the province of Ontario.

Let me say that the great strength of our crime prevention initiative is that it is local communities who identify the root causes of crime, identify their resources to fight those root causes and put together plans that we in the federal government working in partnership with local agencies like those in the hon. member's riding and the provinces--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Lanark--Carleton.

Tax Point Transfers

[Scott Reid, Canadian Alliance, Lanark—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on the question of tax point transfers, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs once again missed a perfect opportunity to demonstrate that the federal government can be open and flexible.

In hiding behind the equalization increase, the minister tried to dodge the real issue.

Why does he refuse to listen to his fellow Quebecers, who are unanimously demanding the transfer of tax points?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec tax points are worth 19 cents on each dollar of the combined tax points in Canada. It would not be in the best interest of Quebecers to go this route.

In any case, the Quebec government sheepishly backed down from its idea of holding a referendum on the issue. Quite understandably: it is obviously an absurd proposal.

[Scott Reid, Canadian Alliance, Lanark—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one has to wonder if the minister would not rather see the Parti Quebecois re-elected than have to deal with a federalist government in Quebec pushing for decentralization.

Instead of hampering the efforts of his allies in Quebec, why does he not make a commitment to follow in the footsteps of his Liberal predecessors, who were not afraid to transfer tax points?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot understand the question; no doubt the member is misinformed about what is happening in Quebec.

It is very likely that we will be discussing these things in the near future with a premier in Quebec City who believes in Canada.

The Environment

[Serge Cardin, Bloc, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec has enacted regulations banning the importation of waste material.

As for the Canadian government, starting in 2003, its Environmental Protection Act will allow waste material to be brought into regions such as the Eastern Townships.

Is the Minister of the Environment going to respect Quebec's environmental protection regulations so as to prevent areas like the Eastern Townships from turning into dumping grounds for our neighbours to the South?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that the Canadian legislation will be in line with the new legislation in the province of Quebec. I can see no problem with differences between the federal and the provincial legislation.

[Rick Laliberte, Liberal, Churchill River, SK]

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

Sumas is an American company that applied for a natural gas fired power plant in the state of Washington. This is very close to Abbotsford, B.C. On February 16 this year the application was denied. However, the company filed a revised application on June 29.

Many British Columbians are still concerned about the potential effects on air quality by the plant. Could the minister tell the House the position of the Sumas 2 power plant?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of the Environment was heavily involved from the very beginning in the application of the SE2 proposal. It was in fact the science work done by Environment Canada which led the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to reject the first application and the revised application. Now there is a second application.

I can assure the hon. member that we will continue to oppose that because it increases air quality problems in the Fraser Valley, just as we will continue to oppose other sources of air quality detriment in the valley.

Canada 3000

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

Mr. Speaker, when Canada 3000 ceased operations, thousands of Canadians were left with no hope of recouping the money they paid for now worthless tickets. Included in the price of these tickets was a number of federal taxes and fees. These individuals paid taxes for services they never received.

I ask the transport minister, is the government prepared to reimburse the federal taxes and fees for those passengers who are now holding worthless Canada 3000 tickets?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, it was rather regrettable that Canada 3000 went bankrupt. It did leave a lot of people stranded.

Because of the way tickets are purchased under the auspices of tour operators in certain provinces a large number, probably a vast majority, of those people were protected on other carriers. Certainly credit card companies have honoured their obligations. There are not as many people who are out of pocket, but it is rather unfortunate there will be some.