Debates of Nov. 22nd, 2001

Housing

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today municipalities across the country joined thousands of people in more than 20 communities in a national day of action on Canada's urgent housing needs.

There is a desperate call from the FCM and from housing groups as yet another winter approaches because it is clear that the funds being considered by the federal government for housing are not good enough. They are not even an adequate downpayment. It is time for a fully funded national housing strategy.

Will the minister commit to this or will he fail homeless Canadians again?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to confirm that we are honouring our commitment in the red book and the Speech from the Throne. I have already had a meeting with my colleagues, the provincial and territorial ministers of housing. I will be having another meeting on November 30, a week from now. I am very confident that we will have an national affordable housing policy in this country very soon.

Revenue Canada

[Wendy Lill, NDP, Dartmouth, NS]

Mr. Speaker, 90,000 Canadians have recently received letters from Revenue Canada telling them to reapply for the disability tax credit. It could cost between $30 and $120 to get a doctor to agree that they are still legally blind or still have Down's syndrome. This is harassment.

First the CPP disability program is made more restrictive and now the disability tax credit is under fire. Why is the government picking on our most vulnerable citizens? Will it order these harassing letters to be withdrawn? Will it offer these 90,000 Canadians a written apology? Will it commit to real consultation with disability groups on all tax issues?

[Sophia Leung, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, the government has always had the best of intentions for the disabled. We will certainly review the situation. In the meantime, we have a special sympathy and empathy for disabled groups.

Justice

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, being wrongfully listed or wrongfully accused can cause irreparable harm to a person. Just ask Mohamed Attiah who, without a charge or even accusation, was fired from his job at the Chalk River atomic energy facility after being wrongfully accused of being involved in terrorist activities. This happened two months ago and there has been no explanation from the police or the nuclear agency that fired him. He has now launched a $5.5 million lawsuit.

The minister has advised us that under the new bill, individuals can go to the federal court if they are denied access to information.

Could the parliamentary secretary tell us what other recourse exists for those who are wrongfully listed--

[The Speaker]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice.

[Stephen Owen, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-36 is comprehensive legislation. It deals with many aspects of matters going to court and people being listed against the threat of terrorism. We have never in our criminal law had a policy of compensation for people who are accused, prosecuted and acquitted.

However if public officials behave improperly or with negligence, then they can be liable for civil action. This could be the case in this situation.

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, that member used to actually care about civil rights. He said that individuals can go to the federal court if they are wrongfully accused or wrongfully listed. On the other hand, we know that the government has unlimited resources and lawyers to defend its position. It can hide information under the new act.

Will the member tell us, if mistakes occur, and they will, how individuals will get their names off the list? How do they remove their names from the list?

[Stephen Owen, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the member is well aware that there is an opportunity to go before a federal court judge to have the matter reviewed and to be de-listed.

National Defence

[Cheryl Gallant, Canadian Alliance, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what is really appalling is the Liberal government's mistreatment of our military.

Joint Task Force 2 has not left Canada for Afghanistan because, in the words of former British special air service member, Alan Bell, they are not outfitted for such a mission. Why does the government refuse to be forthright with the Canadian people about the JTF2 and its absence from Afghanistan?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the person who the member quotes has had no formal contact with the JTF2 and is therefore not in a position to accurately comment on the capabilities of the JTF2. It has the capabilities for any mission that the government would ask it to do.

[Cheryl Gallant, Canadian Alliance, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are not asking about capabilities. The British and the Australians regularly brief their parliaments. Canadians have a right to know that the JTF2, our domestic hostage rescue unit, has not left Canada.

Why is the government hiding the fact that Liberal cutbacks to the army means that the ground war on terrorism is being fought without Canada?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the head of central command of the coalition effort asked for the JTF2 troops. General Franks asked for the JTF2 troops and this government is making them available. They are highly qualified to do the kind of mission they have been asked to do. They are being offered because they have been asked by this government to do so.

Afghanistan

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the Bonn meeting coming up, the personal representative of the UN secretary general said that it was very important that women be involved at the highest level in the political process leading to the rebuilding of Afghanistan.

Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us what measures Canada has undertaken as a partner in the anti-terrorism coalition to ensure that Afghani women do indeed take part in the process?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the government and the Minister of Foreign Affairs are very cognizant of what the women of Afghanistan have gone through. It is a major priority on our part, as with other members of the coalition, to ensure their role and participation in a government that will follow the current hostilities.

[Diane Bourgeois, Bloc, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the government intend to make a proposal that would tie a substantial part of the aid provided to rebuild Afghanistan to the development of infrastructures that would help improve the status of Afghani women?

[Maria Minna, Liberal, Minister for International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, I should point out to the House that even before September 11, Canada was very involved in providing programs of education and rehabilitation for women in Afghanistan. We have spent some $150 million over the last 10 years. We spent about $28 million just in this year.

We will definitely be there working with the women and with all of the people of Afghanistan to help them with reconstruction and rehabilitation right after this.

Foreign Affairs

[Keith Martin, Canadian Alliance, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as the world focuses on Afghanistan, President Mugabe of Zimbabwe has been allowed to literally get away with murder. Canada and the Commonwealth made a commitment through the Abuja accords to halt this reign of terror but Mr. Mugabe has failed to keep up with his end of the bargain.

Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs ask the Commonwealth to suspend Zimbabwe's membership and ask for a freeze on his personal assets?

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has attended, along with the hon. member, the conference dealing with these issues. They are being very carefully monitored. The situation is being assessed, and we are ready and prepared to respond when we feel all of that information is at hand.

[Keith Martin, Canadian Alliance, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the time is up. The evidence is patently in front of us. Thousands of people will be murdered or will die unless we as part of the international community act. In fact, Mr. Mugabe as we speak is brutalizing the black population through beatings, rape and murder. He is intimidating them to vote for him in the next election.

One again, will the minister also seek an international ban on travel by Mr. Mugabe and his ministers and also prevent them from continuing to jail--

[The Speaker]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Aileen Carroll, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, having mentioned at the outset how very cognizant we are of the very bad situation in Zimbabwe, the hon. member is well aware that what he has proposed in the way of sanctions, economic and political, will not function on a bilateral basis. Unless there is that kind of reaction, sanctions and that sort on an international basis, it simply will not be effective.

We are looking for an effective response.

National Defence

[David Price, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence.

The second anti-terrorism omnibus bill tabled in the House today contains job protection and protection provisions for the military reservists. Could the minister please explain the provisions to the House?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, many times we have called on the reserves to assist in such things as the ice storm, the Saguenay or the Red River floods. Of course a number of reservists also serve in our overseas peacekeeping missions.

They do so on a voluntary basis and therefore employer support is voluntary. However, if in this new security environment we should ever have to call them out on a mandatory basis because of a declared state of emergency, then we should give them job protection. I think most employers would give them their jobs back, but we want to make sure that the loyal reservists, who serve the country well, will be able to return to their employment.

Agriculture

[Howard Hilstrom, Canadian Alliance, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Pulse crops have become a significant contributor to farm family incomes. The industry is an example of entrepreneurial spirit, as it was developed with almost no government money.

The government should be putting some money into this important industry. Pulse Canada has identified $17 million to build pulse research and $14 million annually as a complement to existing producer investment.

Will the minister immediately commit to making this $31 million available to Pulse Canada?