House of Commons Hansard #126 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was animal.
Sarmite Bulte LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, the government committed in the Speech from the Throne to make sure we have better copyright protection for new ideas and to ensure that Canada's intellectual property rights laws remain among the most modern in the world.
Therefore I am glad to announce that the government will be tabling a bill to amend the Copyright Act to ensure how the compulsry licence applies to the Internet.
Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, the longer the federal government remains silent on the tragic death of Dudley George the more it shields and protects Mike Harris.
The public has a right to know if the premier of Ontario improperly influenced the OPP. It is a very serious matter and Harris stonewalls at every attempt to get to the truth. It is up to the federal government now if we are ever going to learn the truth about Ipperwash.
Will the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development use his authority to call for a full public inquiry into the tragic events at Ipperwash that led to the death of Dudley George?
Bob Nault LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, I do not have the power that the member suggests to call an inquiry of that kind. It is a tragic incident obviously. We are working with the community to heal the community as it relates to the issues of that particular night. We are working as well to deal with the claims between the Stoney and Kettle Point. I think that is the way to proceed. That is the way to improve the lives of aboriginal people. The inquiry will not solve those particular issues.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transport.
Subsequent to the privatization of CN and the merger with Illinois Central, CN has not only become a railway that is owned by American shareholders, it has also increasingly become a railway that is run by American managers. The result of this in Winnipeg has been that jobs are increasingly leaving Winnipeg and going south. There is a rumour now that the Motive Power Shop at the Transcona shops will close. Other jobs are leaving Symington as traffic is diverted south for repair, maintenance and inspection.
Will the Minister of Transport use his good offices to talk to CN to make sure it keeps jobs here in Canada where they belong?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the privatization of CN has been a remarkable achievement for the government because CN now has a market capitalization of $11 billion. It is one of the great railroads in North America. It has created thousands of jobs in Canada right across the country and that will continue.
On the particular point that he raised, I will certainly use my good offices to speak to the president of CN to see if we can help the situation.
Scott Brison Progressive Conservative Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, in the first line of her first report, Canada's new auditor general criticized the Liberals for “the erosion of parliamentary control over how the government raises money and spends it”.
On Monday the Liberals are presenting a budget only four days before the House adjourns for the holidays. Now it even wants to cut the debate down to only two days.
Will the government commit to four days of budget debate before the holidays instead of closing the House early so that its ministers can go on to their leadership campaigns?
Don Boudria LiberalMinister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, that is a rather unusual question from a member who should know the House rules better than that. He knows that the budget is adopted on the strength of the subamendment. If he does not believe that he should ask his leader. He was defeated on the subamendment and subsequently lost power.
Scott Brison Progressive Conservative Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member sounds more like the rat packer that he was. There is no excuse for the Liberals dashing off like Prancer and Vixen on December 12.
Why are the Liberals manipulating the House of Commons timetable to go home early? Is it that they want to perhaps sleep in the morning after their big Christmas party? Or is it that the finance minister fears scrutiny and debate on his budget and supports this government attack on parliamentary control?
Don Boudria LiberalMinister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, again the hon. member is wrong. There are four days for the budget in the Standing Orders of the House of Commons. That is the way it works. After the second day there is a vote on the subamendment. He can ask his House leader. He knows all about that stuff. After that subamendment, then the next day there is a vote on the amendment, and the next day of debate and the one after that is on the main motion. That is the process.
The days are not necessarily consecutive, but all four days will take place because those are the rules and this government obeys the rules.
Kevin Sorenson Canadian Alliance Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, all is not well within Canada's prisons. According to a CBC radio report, inmates at Bath penitentiary allege that money buys them a quicker ticket out of maximum security.
There are stories of drug smuggling and drug dealing in Kingston and other penitentiaries. Correctional officers and their families are threatened and intimidated.
How can the solicitor general assure Canadians that these and all allegations of illegal activity within our correctional facilities are being investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law?
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, these are serious allegations and the commissioner of Correctional Service Canada and I are aware of them.
Correctional Service Canada has a zero tolerance for any allegations of wrongdoing by their staff members. An investigation has been put in place to look into these serious allegations.
Kevin Sorenson Canadian Alliance Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, whether we are talking about Ontario, Quebec or Alberta, repeatedly there are stories about the lives of correctional officers and their families being threatened if they do not comply with the extortion and blackmail of inmates, particularly organized criminals and those who are involved in biker gangs.
The jobs of correctional officers are inherently dangerous, but certain safeguards such as better detection of drugs could alleviate some of the risks. I ask the solicitor general, why has he repeatedly failed to listen to the frontline correctional officers and implement more stringent drug detection--
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
First, Mr. Speaker, if my hon. colleague has any information on the allegations he has mentioned, to start with he should bring that forward.
As to what has taken place, we have put dogs in medium and maximum institutions. We have ion scanners in medium and maximum institutions. We have one of the best correctional services in this world in Canada. We will continue to make sure that the workers are protected in Correctional Service Canada.
Yves Rocheleau Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, employees in their fifties who have been laid off by three companies in the Mauricie region came to Ottawa to meet a representative of the Department of Human Resources Development and demand the establishment of an assistance program for older workers.
Does the Minister of Human Resources Development intend to act on the requests of these workers and does she plan to help them?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased that members of my staff were able to meet with the former workers of several organizations and companies in the hon. member's region.
We understand how difficult it can be when older workers lose their jobs and have to find others. That is why back in June of 1999 we announced $30 million specifically for older worker pilot projects. We have a specific agreement with the Government of Quebec and $9 million is transferred to that province for use in support of older workers.
I am hopeful that these former workers will be able to take advantage of that program.
Yves Rocheleau Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, are we to understand from what the minister says that she is telling the workers here today she does not intend helping them because the surplus in the employment insurance fund has already been spent?
Is that what she is telling them?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, it is extraordinarily important that older workers have access to programming that will assist them as they transition from one job to another.
I would remind the hon. member that we transfer close to half a billion dollars to the Government of Quebec every single year for it to use in assistance for all workers, including older workers in the province.
Charlie Penson Canadian Alliance Peace River, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister told the House that he who asserts must prove.
Eight months ago the Prime Minister asserted that the document showing him to be in a direct conflict of interest was forged, but the RCMP has refused to back his story.
The onus is on the Prime Minister to prove the forgery. What we cannot understand is, if the RCMP cannot prove the document was forged, how will the Prime Minister prove it?
Business Development Bank of CanadaOral Question Period
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is proving true the old saying that an empty barrel makes the most noise.
Charlie Penson Canadian Alliance Peace River, AB
Mr. Speaker, this is a very important matter despite what the industry minister says. It strikes to the heart of the ethics of the Prime Minister.
He has asserted there is a criminal conspiracy to undermine him. However, the RCMP is not backing his claim.
The footnote on the document suggests the Prime Minister was lobbying the government for money so he could collect on a personal debt. If this is a forgery, what is the Prime Minister doing to clear his name?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, this document was not a document from the Prime Minister or his office. It represents something in the files of the Business Development Bank.
The matter of the document is being looked into by the RCMP. I repeat, it is not necessary in our system of British and Canadian justice when somebody like the Alliance member makes an unwarranted allegation for the person against whom the allegation is made to prove the contrary.
The Alliance member has not offered any proof. He should withdraw his unwarranted assertion.
Jean Augustine Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
Mr. Speaker, for the last 10 years the Government of Canada has had a family violence strategy.
On this national day of remembrance and action on violence against women, I would like to ask the Secretary of State for the Status of Women, has anything changed? Is anything new? Are there any innovative ways in which the government is dealing with the issue of violence against women?
Hedy Fry LiberalSecretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has asked a very insightful question.
In fact, research has shown us that the nature and intensity of violence against women is changing. For instance, over the last seven years we have moved from 12 women in a million who are victims of spousal homicide to 7 in a million.
We have begun to focus not only on legislative changes but also on prevention strategies. Specifically, we are looking at youth and children, especially disadvantaged youth and sexually exploited youth, in order to do our preventive measures.
Rob Merrifield Canadian Alliance Yellowhead, AB
Mr. Speaker, the auditor general has revealed that Health Canada is another hotbed of waste and mismanagement. One example is the HIV-AIDS strategy.
A reviewer rejects a submission for an $84,000 study. Two external reviewers recommend major revisions. What happens? In spite of the negative assessment, the project gets the go-ahead, not for $84,000 but for $130,000.
How can that be?