House of Commons Hansard #121 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-35.

Topics

JusticeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Crowfoot.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Kevin Sorenson Canadian Alliance Crowfoot, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government made it legal in Canada to have sex with children as young as 14 years of age.

Federal child pornography legislation was sidelined as a result of the Sharpe decision about five years ago.

Laws prohibiting the luring of children and child pornography over the Internet have yet to be enacted. Why will the justice minister not protect our children?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, the government is working not only here at home but abroad to deal with the problems and the horror of child pornography.

In fact we could have had laws in place protecting our children further against child pornography had the opposition and others not stonewalled the passage of Bill C-15. Months ago we could have had new laws in the country protecting our children. They should look at themselves.

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Export Development Corporation has provided financial assistance to GM of London, Ontario, for a $2 billion locomotive construction contract. It seems that this company has subcontracted at least 50% of the initial contract to a Mexican firm, while the employees of Alsthom, in Montreal, are short of work.

Does the Export Development Corporation consider it within its mandate to subsidize employment elsewhere instead of supporting job creation at home?

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

London—Fanshawe Ontario

Liberal

Pat O'Brien LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have that question. First, I have to point out that the details of the contract are commercially confidential, obviously, but all of EDC's criteria in terms of benefits to Canada and Canadian content were satisfied.

This is the largest such contract in North American history and 850 workers in my riding of London, Ontario will not have to be laid off. They will be maintained in their jobs because of this contract. Because of this contract the full workforce of 2,755 employees will be maintained in place in London, Ontario.

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC

Nevertheless, Mr. Speaker, people in Montreal have been laid off, and there is no more work for them.

Could the government ensure that the EDC is more careful about creating jobs at home, and ought it not include strict clauses in the agreements it signs with companies to which it provides assistance?

Export Development CorporationOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

London—Fanshawe Ontario

Liberal

Pat O'Brien LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade

Mr. Speaker, this may come as a news flash to the hon. member, but London, Ontario is in Canada.

If I may quote from Alstom's own website, it notes that in view of the NAFTA, “ALSTOM Canada works closely with its US and Mexican counterparts to better coordinate its activities and its development in North American markets”. That is exactly what General Motors in London, Ontario did with the appropriate help of EDC.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Carol Skelton Canadian Alliance Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK

Mr. Speaker, more than two month ago British intelligence agents gave evidence that 8 Canadians were suspected of child abuse and child pornography and 120 people in more than a dozen countries have been arrested. We know there are suspects in Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia but no one has been apprehended in this country.

I ask the solicitor general, why have Canadians not been arrested?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Cardigan P.E.I.

Liberal

Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that my hon. colleague's party continuously condemns one of the best police forces in the world, if not the best.

I can assure my hon. colleague that the RCMP is pursuing this matter, but does the hon. member expect me to give information on investigations publicly? No, I will not.

JusticeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Carol Skelton Canadian Alliance Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK

Mr. Speaker, as the mother-in-law of a police officer I resent what the solicitor general just said.

The RCMP commissioner admits cases are put on the back burner while the RCMP deals with terrorism. Organized crime, drug trafficking and now cases of child pornography and sexual abuse are falling through the cracks. This appalling scenario is a direct result of the government's gutting of the RCMP budget.

Will the solicitor general immediately ensure that the RCMP is sufficiently staffed and funded so that our children stop falling prey to sadistic pedophiles?

JusticeOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Cardigan P.E.I.

Liberal

Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I have told the House many times that the government, in the last budget and since, has put just about $2 billion into the public safety envelope. We have funded one of the best police forces in the world. The RCMP has indicated quite clearly that it is pursuing this matter and this government will not criticize the RCMP.

Raoul LégerOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Dominic LeBlanc Liberal Beauséjour—Petitcodiac, NB

Mr. Speaker, in 1981 Raoul Léger of Kent County, New Brunswick, died under tragic circumstances in Guatemala. His family is today calling for an autopsy to help them discover the facts surrounding his death.

Could the minister tell us how his department can help the Léger family?

Raoul LégerOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the member for his interest in this situation, which is very sad, and for raising it with me last week.

Since then, officials from my department have contacted the family to offer support that is appropriate in the situation.

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Finance almost announced that the 5¢ reduction in EI premiums would not be going ahead.

Yet large employers and big business went to the Minister of Finance tearfully asking for their money. Tomorrow the minister will announce a reduction for big business.

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development. How many tears do workers, women and children need to shed before she will bring in changes to employment insurance?

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Brant Ontario

Liberal

Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to explain to the House yet again the approach that the government has to the employment insurance fund. On the one hand, we have been able to reduce premiums every single year since taking office and return to employers and employees $6.4 billion in that time.

In addition, we have been able to broaden the benefits, whether it be doubling parental benefits, whether it be working to ensure that we change structures for the benefit of seasonal workers.

This is our approach. It is a formula that has worked and has ensured employment insurance--

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Mr. Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, NDP)Mr. Speaker, when students were pepper sprayed at UBC there was a full public inquiry, but when an unarmed aboriginal man was shot dead by the OPP at a peaceful protest we had nothing but six years of shameful silence.

Dudley George was more than just one dead Indian. We believe that he is the only aboriginal man in the country in this century, the 20th century, killed in a land claims dispute. That makes it a federal matter.

Will the federal government call for a full public inquiry into the tragic events at Ipperwash and the tragic death of Dudley George?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Oxford Ontario

Liberal

John Finlay LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend is mixing up two problems. The government is committed to cleaning up the land at Ipperwash and returning it to the first nations. However, the matter of an inquiry is a provincial matter. The government will support such a provision.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Inky Mark Canadian Alliance Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, nine days ago the minister of immigration said “Under the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, we have done everything...to try to make” refugee processing “as fast as possible...”.

Bill C-42 introduced last week would see her department revert to the much slower Immigration Act of 1976.

How does the minister of immigration explain this 180° turnaround on a faster and more efficient system?

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, speaking of turnarounds, the hon. member, when he was critic for I do not know which party, tabled a motion about Bill C-11 at committee stage to restore certain appeal rights to the appeal division for serious criminals and threats to Canadian security that Bill C-11 had removed to allow for quicker removals.

The hon. member should be allowed to get up again, apologize for this and explain the inconsistent position.

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Inky Mark Canadian Alliance Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely no truth whatsoever to that statement.

The minister said of her much touted Bill C-11 “...we have streamlined procedures because we know that it does take too long”.

What happened to change the minister's mind as we see in Bill C-42? She was the one who insisted on the faster procedures. What happened to change her mind?

ImmigrationOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will get his answer by looking at himself in the mirror. He is the one who tried to slow down Bill C-11 and we are the ones who are speeding it up by putting the key clauses in Bill C-42. He has things totally backwards. No wonder he is hidden in the corner down there.

Bill C-35Oral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Brian Pallister Canadian Alliance Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, tragically 10 months ago this week Catherine MacLean of Ottawa was killed by a drunken diplomat who could not be prosecuted under Canadian law because he was given immunity.

The minister expressed regrets. The minister said it was unjust. The minister made promises. Bill C-35 breaks those promises by expanding immunity to thousands of additional non-Canadians. Will the minister do the right thing and pull Bill C-35 today, or will he break his promises?

Bill C-35Oral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, first, Bill C-35 breaks no such promises. Second, the actions that I took following the terrible incident last January were exactly what were required in order to ensure that as much as possible we could prevent this ever happening again.

This happened in my community. I am ashamed that I have to face a member across the aisle who tries to play cheap political games with a tragic incident.

Bill C-35Oral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.