Debates of Dec. 4th, 2001

Employment Insurance

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, more than 8,000 employees from the tourism and hospitality industry in Toronto will lose their jobs as a result of the fallout of the September 11 disaster. Of those employees being laid off, 80% will not receive unemployment benefits.

My question is for the Minister of Human Resources Development. At this time I want an honest answer and no blah, blah, blah. Will the minister modify the employment insurance program so these employees can qualify and receive their share of a program that they have paid into?

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not understand blah, blah, blah.

Let me reiterate for the hon. member that it is precisely because of the approach of this government, a balanced approach of continuing to reduce premiums and expand the benefits to Canadians, that we have a program which is there to serve Canadians when they need it.

I would remind the hon. member that in Bill C-2 we repealed the intensity regulation, something for which he and his party asked. We made changes to the clawback rule, something for which he and his party asked. We have doubled parental benefits, and that is very good for Canadian families.

Canada-U.S. Relations

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we had various announcements about how we were strengthening the Canada-U.S. border. However we have heard nothing from the Minister of National Revenue in terms of permanent positions and permanent solutions. In fact, did we get any assurance at all of any new personnel from the U.S. side or the Canadian side, or any new technology?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, I really do not know where the hon. member was over the past few months.

We announced last year, last June and a few weeks ago more human resources for the customs organization. This will take place at the beginning of next year.

At the same time, along with my colleagues, the solicitor general and the Minister of Transport, we have announced more technology for airports and international seaports.

We are moving in the right direction. As I said earlier, for commercial shipments we will announce shortly what we--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for New Brunswick Southwest.

Auditor General's Report

[Greg Thompson, Progressive Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Mr. Speaker, where I live there is a translation for blah, blah, blah, but they are two words that I probably should not use in the House.

My question is for the minister responsible for the treasury board. Why does the minister not consent to mandatory annual audits? Is the word mandatory foreign in her vocabulary? That is all we are asking for. She can talk around the subject but what we are demanding are mandatory annual audits. Will she insist on that?

[Lucienne Robillard, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, in this government, managers are responsible for the management of their departments and for their internal audits. According to our new policy, they are obliged to have an audit committee in their own departments.

As the auditor general has said, we have a good framework. Now we must make sure it is implemented, which is why treasury board will actively monitor that policy in all departments of the government.

[Greg Thompson, Progressive Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Mr. Speaker, a short translation would be blah, blah, blah.

Specifically, I look at the health minister's department as an example. There is a contract in his department for $2 million. He knows the terms and conditions of that contract were never met yet the contractor was paid. Is this the type of process that the minister has faith in? Could the Minister of Health not use that $2 million for real health care in this country?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada was gratified that the auditor general said that we have a good process in place to manage our programs; that we have well-established management processes; and that we have clear program guidelines. We are very encouraged by that but we also agree that we can do better. We are grateful to the auditor general for the very constructive advice she has given.

We intend to improve the way we manage our programs and do a better job in the future, building on the good advice we receive from the auditor general.

Terrorism

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

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to standing up to terrorists the government lacks spine. It insists on giving tax preferred status to agencies of the notorious terrorist organization Hamas which claimed credit this past weekend for the horrible atrocities that killed 26 innocent Israeli civilians. This organization has one stated purpose and that is to destroy Israel and to eliminate Jews.

When will the government stand up, grow some spine and take a real stand against terrorism by outlawing Hamas fundraising in this country?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, this government condemns all acts of terrorism and any organization that supports terrorists. That is why we have added the military wing of Hamas, as the British have done, to the list of people and groups in Canada whose assets are frozen. When we make the decision to add a group to the list we look at a number of factors. We look at intelligence information, foreign issues and a number of other factors. In this case, all these procedures were followed.

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister does not have a clue on many things and certainly not on this issue. He does not have a clue which arm of Hamas gets donations from Canadians. He does not know that. He splits hairs but Hamas does not split hairs. It does not separate its warmongering arm from its fundraising arm. It lumps them under one umbrella dedicated to the death of Jews and the eradication of Israel.

Canadians support peaceful solutions. It is clear that Hamas does not. The government's spinelessness is tiresome and embarrassing to Canadians.

Will the Prime Minister stand up and say that he will take immediate steps to eliminate Hamas fundraising--

[The Speaker]

The hon. solicitor general.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I will not respond to the first inconsiderate remarks that my hon. colleague made. For sure I will not.

As I said, we condemn all acts of terrorism. We have added the military wing of Hamas, as the British government has done.

Health

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government's mismanagement clearly shows what we have been saying in the House for years, namely that federal spending cuts are not the result of a better management of resources, but of cuts in transfers to the provinces, particularly for health care.

Does the Prime Minister realize that his government is wasting public money by mismanaging its funding programs, and that it balances its budget by constantly reducing the federal contribution to health, as Ontario Premier Mike Harris clearly showed last week?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, this is not true. We increased transfers to the provinces considerably. We set a new record high in transfers for health and social services.

Fourteen months ago, the Premier of Quebec signed an agreement with the Government of Canada in which we increased transfers by $21 billion for the next five years. This is very significant.

[Réal Ménard, Bloc, Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister may say whatever he wants, the figures unquestionably say otherwise.

In Quebec, in 1967, the federal government was contributing 50 cents for each dollar spent on health. In 2000, the federal contribution had gone down to more or less 13 cents for each dollar. In Ontario, according to Mike Harris, the federal contribution went from 50 cents for each dollar in 1976 to 17 cents today.

If this is not backing out of funding for health, what is it?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, again, the hon. member is wrong. He completely ignored tax points.

The reality is that the Government of Canada is paying one third of health costs in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. This is a huge contribution on the part of the federal government.

Correctional Service Canada

[Kevin Sorenson, Canadian Alliance, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Clinton Suzack is a heartless killer who showed absolutely no mercy when he shot constable Joe MacDonald execution style. The government has repeatedly put his comfort and well-being ahead of the safety and security of all law-abiding Canadians.

It is time for the government to get serious about dangerous offenders or we will continue to hear parole horror stories like what happened with Suzack.

When will the solicitor general listen to the pleas of police officers and victims groups across Canada and return Clinton Suzack to a maximum security penitentiary where he belongs?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times to my hon. colleague, when individuals are convicted of a crime in this country, they are sentenced and placed in a maximum security institution where they are evaluated. They serve their time, and if they are in a maximum, medium or minimum security institution that is done by Correctional Service Canada.

We have one of the most efficient correctional services in this country.

[Kevin Sorenson, Canadian Alliance, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, everyone, except the solicitor general and Correctional Service Canada, says that he should be in a maximum penitentiary. Canadians are absolutely fed up with the velvet touch treatment the inmates receive.

Correctional Service Canada moved Suzack from one club fed to another medium security penitentiary.

Correctional Service Canada wasted $16,000 of taxpayer money only to find out that prisoners end up vetoing the new correctional officers' uniforms because they looked too authoritarian.

The solicitor general is responsible. He is responsible for corrections in this country. I ask him today, when will he listen and put the safety of law-abiding--

[The Speaker]

The hon. solicitor general.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, public safety is always the number one issue.

I believe if my hon. colleague took a trip through a medium security institution he would find that it is not a very pleasant place to spend time.

Poverty

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

Mr. Speaker, last week the Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa attended the annual meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.

Could the secretary of state please inform the House of the outcome of that meeting?

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

Mr. Speaker, 177 million people are living below the poverty line in this hemisphere, half of them in rural parts of the hemisphere.

We elected an outstanding Barbadian, Dr. Chelston Brathwaite, as the new executive director. With Canada's help we can now begin to deal with the appalling problems of rural poverty in this hemisphere.