Debates of Nov. 9th, 2001

Religious Organizations

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, 70% of the claims brought by former IRS students were brought directly against the church organizations involved and the federal government. We have never left the negotiation table. We are happy to continue negotiations but we felt we had to reach out directly to the victims so their legitimate concerns could be dealt with much more quickly than if the matter was left to the courts to grind along over 25 years.

I am surprised the hon. member does not support that objective. He used to support it. It is time he got back to it. The priority is the victims.

[Philip Mayfield, Canadian Alliance, Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I agree, the priority is the victims, but the Cariboo diocese of the Anglican church, which will otherwise be gone by December 31, could be saved from bankruptcy if the government and the minister insisted that officials go back to the negotiation table and find the right answer.

The churches have made their proposal. They insist on being included in the reconciliation and the healing of victims. The government also has untested proposals on the table.

Will the government return to negotiations and find the agreement that will provide reconciliation, healing and new life for the victims? Will the minister do that?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as far as I am aware, the diocese in question has not been petitioned into bankruptcy by the federal government or anyone else. Any action it takes to not continue its operations involves its own decisions. I hope it will reconsider its position.

In the meantime, the victims are seeking monetary compensation and we are ready to negotiate with them by way of settlement to take this out of the court system. We are also ready to continue talking with the churches. I consider that we are doing something fair and equitable for the victims, the taxpayers and all Canadians.

Canada Labour Code

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since taking office, the Liberals have always refused to include legislative provisions that would allow pregnant or nursing female workers to get paid in cases of preventive withdrawal. Even the current Minister of Labour refused to include such a measure to protect women and their babies, when the Canada Labour Code was last reviewed.

Following the agreement reached by public service employees and the government, could the President of the Treasury Board tell us whether she has finally included in that collective agreement a clause providing for the preventive withdrawal of pregnant or nursing women?

[Alex Shepherd, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I am unable to answer the member's question directly. I will take it under advisement and get back to her.

The Environment

[Paddy Torsney, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, few things unite youth in Canada like their commitment and dedication to the environment.

I read recently that the minister has appointed several new members to his important youth roundtable.

I wonder if the parliamentary secretary to the minister could tell the House about the roundtable and the important young Canadians who play a role in advising the government.

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue. The government believes very strongly that young people are key players in developing new initiatives for a sustainable future. In fact, the advisory roundtable has been established since 1997. The members meet on environmental issues of concern to them and they offer their perspective to the minister and his department.

The minister believes this is a dynamic way in which to involve young people in our decision making process.

Anti-Terrorism Legislation

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

Mr. Speaker, in the rush to draft anti-terrorism legislation, the government is terrorizing some Canadians.

The majority of witnesses before the justice committee, particularly those of Islamic faith, have stated that they fear repressive and legitimate loss of rights. The privacy and information commissioners have stated the same thing. The justice minister has stated that she is open to advice yet the Prime Minister has continually and arrogantly dismissed these concerns.

I want to give the justice minister the opportunity to provide her assurances that she will be open to honestly consider amendments from the opposition to improve Bill C-36.

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

Mr. Speaker, I certainly can reassure the hon. member that I will consider suggestions for amendments from the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Let me also indicate that the Prime Minister, last evening in Vancouver in his speech to a sold-out fundraiser for our party, did indicate that there will be amendments to Bill C-36.

Airline Security

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, not only has the minister dropped the ball on the airlines but he is also bumbling on airport security. The system has now lost the confidence of the travelling public and pilots but the minister is still pondering and considering.

Why would the minister hang on to a system that rewards the lowest bid, where training and quality are not the highest priorities? Will the minister make a commitment to Canadians today to take over passenger screening services and guarantee proper training and infrastructure so the system is not a bad joke and security is the top priority? Will he do that?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe the hon. member is denigrating those workers and all those people involved in airline security who have been under such pressure since September 11.

The government's priority has been to put in new regulations and ensure that those regulations are enforced rather than looking at who delivers the service. All of this is under review by the government. We are examining the situation. I want to assure Canadians that the security they have at the airports is extremely good.

Afghanistan

[Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc, Laval Centre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend at the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will be presenting his vision of the establishment of a system of governance for Afghanistan. Everyone agrees that this is a matter of the utmost importance.

Would the Minister of Foreign Affairs indicate what his definition of governance is, and what role humanitarian aid plays in it?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the hon. member to wait until tomorrow afternoon.

I can, however, certainly say that we have concerns, not only about humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, but also about the establishment of governance after the conflict in Afghanistan is resolved.

British Columbia

[Betty Hinton, Canadian Alliance, Kamloops, Thompson And Highland Valleys, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the pine beetle is destroying forests in northern British Columbia. The Minister for International Trade has done his best to destroy the softwood lumber industry in the country as well as in British Columbia. The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has abdicated his responsibility for land claims to the provincial level.

The government did not value British Columbia when it was paying its way and making its best contribution to the country. Now that British Columbia is in trouble, it has been abandoned. Does anyone on that side have a plan for British Columbia?

[Ben Serré, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been working very closely with the province of British Columbia on the pine beetle issue. The government is working with all the provinces on all aspects. I do not know what question specifically the member is referring to, but the government has been working with all the provinces on all issues including the pine beetle.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[The Speaker]

I have the honour to lay upon the table the report of the Canadian parliamentary delegation to Mexico from October 9 to 11, 2001.

Committees of the House

[Brian Tobin, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 109 I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to the fifth report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, entitled “The Canadian Innovation Agenda for the 21st Century”.

Pursuant to the same standing order, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to the fourth report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, entitled “Transparency in the Information Age, the Lobbyists Registration Act in the 21st Century”.

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

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 109, I am pleased to submit two copies, in both official languages, of the Government of Canada's response to the report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, entitled “Interim Report: Access to Higher Education and Training”.

Mr. Speaker, in accordance with Standing Order 109, I am pleased to submit two copies, in both official languages, of the Government of Canada's response to the 4th report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, entitled “A Common Vision: Interim Report”.

Government Response to Petitions

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to seven petitions.

Committees of the House

[John Harvard, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Pursuant to the order of reference of Tuesday, October 23, your committee has considered Bill C-35, an act to amend the Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act, and has agreed to report it with two amendments.

Corrections and Conditional Release Act

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

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-412, an act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Criminal Code (sentencing judge to determine level of security of incarceration of inmate for first third of sentence).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague in the coalition, the member for Edmonton North, for seconding this motion.

This amendment would result in a change to the criminal code and Corrections and Conditional Release Act making it possible for judges to pass an order requiring a minimal level of security of incarceration before a third of the sentence has expired.

This bill is intended to prevent the practice of cascading in the courts, wherein a prisoner is placed in a minimal security prison in advance of that proper assessment being made. It would give greater input for judges at the early stage of the sentencing process.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Petitions

[John Bryden, Liberal, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition from constituents in my riding who call for an end to terrorism. This is a petition that speaks out very strongly in support of the Americans who suffered this terrible tragedy on September 11 and calls on this parliament, all Canadians and the world indeed to do all that they can to end terrorism. There are exactly 798 names on this petition.

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first has 37 names appealing to the Parliament of Canada to volunteer to form part of Canada's SOS rescue team to go to China, and to provide protection for this rescue team, to stop the torture and killing of Falun Gong practitioners and to free all said practitioners as well.

[Steve Mahoney, Liberal, Mississauga West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition has about 446 names. It calls upon the Parliament of Canada to enact legislation to give tougher penalties for animal abusers.

Starred Questions

[Karen Redman, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, would you be so kind as to call Starred Question No. 66.