Debates of Dec. 10th, 2001

Post-Secondary Education

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the latest StatsCan report shows that kids from high income families are two and a half times more likely than low income students to attend university. This is a real indictment of the lack of financial accessibility created by the government.

How does the Minister of Human Resources Development defend years of massive failure of Liberal policies that have abandoned a whole generation of young people? Does she see education as a privilege only for the wealthy? Why has the government deliberately allowed low income students to be shut out? Education should be a right, not a privilege just for those who can afford it.

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

Mr. Speaker, the government believes very sincerely that access to post-secondary education is a very important part of the tools Canadians need to participate in a new and modern economy. That is why we introduced the millennium scholarship fund. That is why we have expanded the educational tax credit. That is why we introduced Canada study grants for Canadians with disabilities and for single mothers and parents who want to return to higher education.

Our record is clear. We know that higher education is incredibly important to the future of all Canadians and we want to be there to help them in this regard.

Minister for International Cooperation

[Joe Comartin, NDP, Windsor—St. Clair, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the PMO and the Minister for International Cooperation are showing utter disrespect for the Ontario electorate. We must be concerned about the example we are setting for the rest of the world given that the minister's department provides funding and resources for democratic development and voter education in developing countries.

If the minister will not do the honourable thing and resign for her illegal vote, will she at least commit to taking some of the courses offered by her department on democracy and the electoral process?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am really surprised that the hon. member, a lawyer of long standing, has forgotten or is deliberately--perhaps not deliberately, I had better withdraw that--overlooking basic principles of Canadian and British justice that someone does something illegal when it is found to be so by a court, after a charge has been laid and the charge has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This has not happened here. The minister acted in good faith, as I have said before, based on information obtained for her from the municipal authorities by her staff.

The Budget

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance and his colleagues have selectively leaked the contents of this afternoon's budget to the media over the past number of weeks.

We know of the ongoing fight between the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Industry over broadband. We also know about the Prime Minister's intervention to keep the leadership candidates in check and happy. The government has abandoned the long held practices of prebudget secrecy. It routinely makes announcements to the press gallery and at Liberal fundraisers.

Why is parliament always the last to learn about the government's initiatives, including this year's budget?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the hon. member could tell us how he knows for a fact that the allegations in the press are leaks. If he knows that, then he has obtained information and is talking about it in a way that may well lead to his being under inquiry himself. Perhaps he could explain the basis for his question.

G-8 Summit

[Joe Clark, Progressive Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for either the Deputy Prime Minister or the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Is it still the intention of the Government of Canada that the G-8 summit which Canada will host next year will be held in Kananaskis and in Calgary?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, the expectation is that the G-8 summit will be in Kananaskis. Some related activities and accommodation will be in Calgary.

Middle East

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

Mr. Speaker, at both the United Nations and Geneva convention meetings last week, the government took sides against Israel. In so doing, it has allowed Canada's international voice to be used as a megaphone for advancing the Palestinian cause. Canada's role in this effort hinges on our ability to remain neutral, to have a balanced position. The Liberal government has jeopardized that.

Does the Prime Minister not recognize that by allowing Palestinian supporters to use the United Nations for their agenda, he is motivating the very terrorist elements whose atrocities kill innocent civilian people?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, while I accept part of the premise of the member's question that Canada needs to maintain a fair-minded policy with respect to the Middle East, I cannot accept that Canada did other than to maintain that position last week. I suspect that is why Israeli Foreign Minister Perez thanked me for Canada's position when I met him in Bucharest last Tuesday.

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

Mr. Speaker, the government seems to take terrorism more seriously when it happens to North Americans than when it happens to Israelis.

The Palestinian authority shelters Hamas, just as the Taliban shelters al-Qaeda. Both groups want to destroy Israel and both have international reach. The only difference is that Hamas kills Israelis while al-Qaeda kills North Americans.

Surely if Hamas is a terrorist organization in the Middle East, it is a terrorist organization in Canada as well.

Will the finance minister list all Hamas affiliates as terrorist groups and freeze their assets?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, let me first say that in raising the activities of Hamas in Lebanon, Syria and Iran, I made it clear that Canada's position was that these activities were not only terrorist activities but they were undermining the possibility of restoring a peace process in the Middle East.

Second, let me say that the Canadian government's actions with respect to freezing the assets of groups related to Hamas are identical to those taken by the United Kingdom.

Port Facilities

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, I asked the Minister of Transport a question about his department's policy regarding ports, and the minister answered by talking about competition in the airline industry.

I am giving the Minister of Transport a second chance. The Government of Quebec announced its willingness to acquire nine ports. Since then, the federal government has seemed in no hurry to negotiate.

Will the minister confirm that transferring these port facilities is still a priority for his department?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I have been making an effort to speak and understand French, and I am sorry for my response on Thursday.

With respect to the question the member asked on Thursday, and repeated today, I received a letter from my counterpart, Mr. Chevrette, and I am prepared to meet with him in January.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, will the minister also tell us, in addition to his meeting with Quebec's minister of transportation, when his department is planning on investing the close to $100 million Quebec needs to establish a strategic and efficient network of ports.

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, when I meet with the minister we will address the funding of the port transfer and all other details.

National Security

[James Lunney, Canadian Alliance, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in late September, officers in Marine Communication and Traffic Services raised alarms about security issues on Canada's west coast. When the concerns went unanswered, one officer contacted his member of parliament.

These issues were raised with the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. Officer Frank Dwyer appeared before the committee.

After public hearings and touring west coast facilities, the all party committee concluded this systemic failure must be addressed.

Now we are shocked to learn that the department's first response was to formally reprimand Frank Dwyer.

Why is the minister trying to cover his department's negligence by attacking this coast guard officer?

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, first, the coast guard is looking at all the opportunities to improve security. This is very important.

I want to remind the hon. member that it is not just the coast guard. It is the military and all the departments that work together to make sure we have security along our border.

With regard to the personnel matter, it would be inappropriate to talk about an individual personnel matter. He knows very well that the person was brought to the committee so he could put forward his views on the coast guard, both here in Ottawa but also when the committee was in British Columbia. We will look at the report of the committee that comes forward.

Security is important and we are looking at all the ways we can deal with security issues.

[James Lunney, Canadian Alliance, Nanaimo—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this is about cancelled training. It is about suspended services to shipping. It is about outdated and broken down equipment that leaves hundreds of miles of unmonitored coastline. It is about honouring international agreements. It is about safety of life at sea and protecting coastal marine environment. It is about national security.

Staff are stressed by concerns that their inability to cover the bases could expose Canada or the U.S. to another disaster.

For the department to attack those pleading for help is downright abusive. Whoever went after Frank Dwyer for raising the alarm should be axed.

Will the minister withdraw the reprimand from Frank's file and fix the problem?

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, the government has shown its commitment to the coast guard. Obviously the hon. member is not aware that we committed $115 million to the coast guard in the last budget to make sure it could do its job.

Canadians across the country recognize the good work done by the coast guard. It is unfortunate that that party, every chance it gets, runs down Canadian institutions every time. They should recognize the good work done by the coast guard right across the country.

Foreign Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, often as we focus on one conflict others fall off our radar screen.

Could the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa update us on the situation on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border and on how that conflict is being resolved? What is the peace process at this time?

[David Kilgour, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)]

Mr. Speaker, the situation remains quite stable. Only last week the Eritrean ambassador to Canada and I discussed the question of the status of the forces' agreement.

The boundary commission is expected to demarcate the boundary between the two countries in February. We all hope that both countries will agree to respect that boundary in advance.

The Economy

[Joe Peschisolido, Canadian Alliance, Richmond, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week the auditor general painted a stark and grim picture of the government's waste and mismanagement. Now we learn that the government is ready to continue that waste in today's budget.

It seems as if there is always money for the industry minister's Internet scheme and money for the heritage minister's film industry friends.

Could the Deputy Prime Minster explain how these are the priorities of Canadians when we are facing a recession, a health care crisis and a war on terrorism?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in a little more than an hour the House will have the budget and the facts of its content.

If the hon. member knows exactly what is in the budget at this point he ought to submit himself to investigation by the authorities because he is clearly in breach of a constitutional and parliamentary principle. He ought to get up and admit that he either does not know what he is talking about or, if he does, why he has broken the law.

[Joe Peschisolido, Canadian Alliance, Richmond, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it seems that the deputy minister is the only one who has not read today's papers.

The government needs to eliminate wasteful spending and mismanagement but instead we read in the papers that there will be legacies for these wonderful ministers of the crown.

How can the Deputy Prime Minister, given the government's waste and mismanagement, make sure these legacies will not turn into a Liberal deficit?