Debates of Dec. 11th, 2001

Minister for International Cooperation

[Deborah Grey, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, one of the programs that our CIDA minister pours our tax dollars into as she wanders the world is democracy. Imagine that. She tries to help people vote. I am sure it is in the right place.

Yet here at home she violates democracy and breaks the law by voting for a friend in a municipal election in a riding that she does not even live in. She cannot talk for herself. She hides behind the ethics counsellor and the Deputy Prime Minister. How can this minister teach other countries about voting when she uses a false address herself?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I have to ask the hon. lady how she can teach anybody about parliamentary procedure and conduct of ministers after what she did in leaving the Alliance Party and joining the Conservative Party.

What she says is wrong. The hon. minister has not been found to have broken Ontario election law. There has been no charge, no trial and no conviction. Therefore what the hon. member is saying is contrary to the principles of Canadian and British justice, and she ought to apologize to the House for her unwarranted comments.

[Deborah Grey, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that was really a nice try, but there was no answer there in fact. What has happened here is an embarrassment to parliament. This is about political ethics. It is about leadership and it is about ministerial responsibility. This government has none of the above.

It is interesting that the Deputy Prime Minister mentions the situation because in Quebec a provincial MNA, Monique Simard, was asked to resign by Lucien Bouchard, the premier of the province. Why does the Prime Minister not at least follow the ethics of Lucien Bouchard and ask this minister to resign?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in Ontario the act allows under certain circumstances for someone renting office space to vote in a local municipal election even if they live elsewhere.

It is my understanding that the minister cast her vote in good faith after her staff consulted municipal election officials, but to remove any doubt I have asked the ethics counsellor to look into the matter.

The Budget

[James Moore, Canadian Alliance, Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, about the only thing that is good in yesterday's budget is that finally Canadian Alliance policy on air marshals will be law, but as with most things Liberal there is a problem here.

The transport minister should know that the $24 fee he is asking Canadian passengers to pay is a huge tax grab, totally disproportionate to what they have in the United States. At a time when we want to have more Canadians flying, more people in Canadian skies, why is the transport minister putting a huge disincentive in the way for people to fly?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I find it odd that the hon. member can only see the fact that we have put armed security on planes as the only positive aspect of the airline security measures.

The fact is that the hon. member has said publicly that he supports the transport committee's report of last week. In fact he said it almost reflects his views perfectly. That is what we implemented yesterday. With respect to the fee, he agrees with that kind of financing. He is publicly in favour of that approach.

[James Moore, Canadian Alliance, Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, let me quote from the paper from the transport committee that I said I support:

All stakeholders, including airports, air carriers, airline passengers and/or residents of Canada contribute to the cost of improved aviation security.

That is what I support. That is not what was in the budget yesterday. What was in the budget yesterday was a totally disproportionate financing and a huge tax grab for the transport minister and the finance minister that will go into general revenue over time and will provide a huge disincentive to flying.

Why did the minister commission a report by the transport committee that supported a balanced approach to financing that he did not support? Why did he commission it if he will not follow it?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, what we have had for three months from this member is partisan politics on something that is of great concern to Canadians, and that is the airport security system.

Where has he been on screeners? Where has he been on training? Where has he been on explosive detection equipment? He has been nowhere. He is johnny one note and we are sick of it.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. I would ask hon. members to show some discipline. It is almost impossible to hear anyone today. We must hear the question of the hon. member for Kamouraska--Rivière-du-Loup--Témiscouata--Les Basques.

Employment Insurance

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at the suggestion of the Minister of Human Resources Development, we all waited for the budget to know the fate of the unanimous report proposing 17 improvements to the employment insurance plan.

The Minister of Finance approved only one recommendation.

How does the Minister of Human Resources Development explain her recovery of a mere $15 million of the $45 billion EI surplus? This is a real scandal. Does this not represent abject failure for her and a message to the unemployed that the government has deliberately sacrificed them?

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

Mr. Speaker, here again the Bloc is conveniently avoiding the facts when it comes to employment insurance and the actions of the government.

Yesterday's budget commitment to Canadian apprentices was extremely important, extremely well received, and will ensure that apprentices are there to do the work of Canada in the 21st century.

This decision adds to a list of changes that we have made, making small weeks pilot projects a permanent part of the national employment insurance program and changing the regulations on undeclared earnings. The government has never hesitated to make changes and improvements to the employment insurance system.

Guaranteed Income Supplement

[Marcel Gagnon, Bloc, Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, an examination of the amounts intended for seniors' benefits reveals that the increase in transfers simply matches the normal growth of the older population.

How does the Minister of Human Resources Development explain the Minister of Finance's failure to set aside any sum for the retroactive payment of the guaranteed income supplement for the 68,000 Quebec seniors unfairly deprived of it?

Is this not irrefutable evidence that the government never intended paying the seniors back ?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in the House, the guaranteed income supplement is an important part of the overarching Canadian pension system. I am working with my colleague, the Minister of National Revenue, to ensure that all Canadians who are eligible for that piece of the program know about it.

The hon. member will be interested to know that according to Statistics Canada the incidence of low income among persons aged 65 and over declined from 20.8% in 1980 to 8.9% in 1991. The pension system is there. It is structured to help Canadian seniors.

Minister for International Cooperation

[Deepak Obhrai, Canadian Alliance, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister repeatedly cited British and Canadian tradition in defending the Minister for International Cooperation. Perhaps the minister can draw upon the tradition of ministerial responsibility.

Will the minister explain to Canadians how she can carry on with her duties with these serious allegations hanging over her?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member had listened to me a minute ago, I gave an answer that under circumstances someone not residing but having an office there has the right to vote during a municipal election.

We have asked the ethics counsellor to look into that. We will wait to see what will be the conclusion.

[Deepak Obhrai, Canadian Alliance, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the elections officer in Ontario said that she broke the law. Perhaps the Prime Minister should read that.

Serious allegations hang over the minister's head. She padded her payroll of political friends and she voted improperly and contrary to provincial law. She broke the trust of Canadians. Will the Minister for International Cooperation finally do the right thing and resign?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I have given the explanation that the minister voted in good faith after asking the officials if she could vote. We have asked the ethics counsellor to review that. This should be satisfactory to the member because we have to know all the facts before passing judgment.

Fisheries

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. The Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans recently tabled a comprehensive report on the Oceans Act.

The report recognized the need to protect and conserve the health of our oceans and marine areas. One such area is the Sable Gully. Could the minister underscore his commitment to marine protection and, in particular, full designation of the Sable Gully?

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

Mr. Speaker, I must say that this is one of the best questions I have heard in the House for a while.

Protecting our oceans and marine environment for future generations is extremely important. That is why the Government of Canada, the first country in the world to do it, passed the Oceans Act to protect our oceans and marine environment and to create within that legislation marine protected areas.

The government has already designated two marine protected areas and there are eleven in progress to make up the thirteen marine protected areas, including the Sable Gully area which the member has asked about.

Minister for International Cooperation

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

Mr. Speaker, ministers regularly consult with the ethics counsellor in order to avoid conflicts of interest or violating the law.

Can the Minister for International Cooperation tell us why she did not consult with the ethics counsellor before voting where she had no right to vote?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, two questions were asked in English. I provided the answer. In French, the answer is the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister said the staff of the Minister for International Cooperation was to blame when she voted in a municipal byelection when she was not entitled to do so.

This has left Canadians wondering who is in charge at the Department for International Cooperation because the minister has said nothing in her own defence. Will the minister rise in her place and tell Canadians who is in charge in her department? Is she or her staff making the decisions in her department?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think it was necessary for the hon. member to ask a question like this one.