Debates of Dec. 7th, 2001

Business Development Bank of Canada

[Brian Tobin, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, all these questions have been dealt with. All of these questions have been independently looked into by both the commissioner and by the RCMP.

The fact of the matter is, at a time when Canadians are focused on a terror campaign, which is coming to a conclusion in Afghanistan, when Canadian troops are going overseas, when the economy is suffering a recession, which is being felt all over the world, it is indeed surprising and disappointing that this former prime minister so desperately clings to this lost cause of a question.

Immigration

[Leon Benoit, Canadian Alliance, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, when the official opposition criticized the immigration minister's mismanagement of her refugee system, she called that a dark chapter in Canadian history.

When my colleague criticized the revolving door she maintains for undocumented arrivals, she called those questions treasonous.

Now that her Liberal colleague, the chair of the immigration committee, has called for many of those very same things that the Canadian Alliance has been promoting, what name is she going to call him?

[The Speaker]

I have doubts about this question.

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I want to say that I was pleased to receive the committee's report. I have just had a chance to review it.

I noted that it did not call for mandatory detention, but in fact called for detention which is appropriate for both who are undocumented and unco-operative and is already included in Bill C-11, and it was part of the committee's report of March 2000.

While the government will be responding fully to the committee's report, I would say to the member that many of the issues that have been raised in the report are already a matter of government policy. The rest will be looked at very--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Lakeland.

[Leon Benoit, Canadian Alliance, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure that the minister has read the report or has referred to the comments she has responded to before. Maybe she did not really understand what the opposition was getting at, but that certainly is not because the questions were not clear.

The fact is this Liberal dominated immigration committee has come out with a report which recommends many of the same things that the immigration minister has said in the past simply were not acceptable to her. In fact, she viciously attacked those critics who called for many of those very same changes.

When will the immigration minister put aside her partisan rhetoric and mudslinging permanently? When will she apologize and make the changes to the refugee screening system which will protect Canadians?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, recommendation No. 36 in the report states and I quote:

Detention continues to play a role in our border security procedures...

However it cautions that people should be detained for a minimum period necessary and that detention review should occur within 48 hours. That is existing government policy.

It also goes on to say in recommendation No. 37:

The detention of minors be avoided...

Further, recommendation No. 38 states:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada ensure that undocumented refugee claimants who are uncooperative in establishing their identity are detained.

That is government policy.

Garanteed Income Supplement

[Marcel Gagnon, Bloc, Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Minister of Human Resources Development, the government's job is simply to inform the population.

Clearly the minister has not had much success with this yet, and she appears to be incapable of advocating for the poorest in our society who have a right to the guaranteed income supplement.

What is the Minister of Human Resources Development waiting for? Do the honourable thing and give these elderly people what they are entitled to.

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, the guaranteed income supplement is a very important part of the overarching Canadian pension structure. A one year retroactivity provision has been part of that program since its beginning 30 years ago.

This provision is consistent or more generous than similar provisions in the Canada pension plan, the Quebec pension plan or other federal or provincial income support programs.

[Marcel Gagnon, Bloc, Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it might be nice if the minister was familiar with the program.

Does the minister acknowledge that we must give credit to unemployed people, older workers and retired people, because it is thanks to them that this government has been able to balance its budget, and it is from their pockets that this government shamefully stole money in order to reach its objectives?

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

Mr. Speaker, what I will agree with is indeed older workers are a very important part of the Canadian economy and they do deserve our respect. That is why we are so glad and proud of our overarching pension system which has really improved the levels of income for Canadian seniors over the course of the years.

However I cannot accept the accusation made by the member opposite in his question. The government stands firmly behind Canadian seniors, whether it be through pensions or whether it be through our support for them as a older workers, through older worker pilot programs and the employment insurance system.

Justice

[Kevin Sorenson, Canadian Alliance, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after the opposition raised questions in the House yesterday regarding the allegations of wrongdoing by correctional officers, the solicitor general finally announced that there would be an investigation into that. We commend Correctional Service Canada for this undertaking. However we are concerned about the limited scope of the investigation.

My question is for the solicitor general. Will this be another internal correctional service investigation or will the RCMP be called in?

[Lynn Myers, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we are very much aware of the allegations. As the House knows, we have zero tolerance when it comes to these kinds of things. We will pursue it to the nth degree.

If the hon. member has any information, he should do the honest and decent thing, and that is to make sure that the RCMP or Correctional Service Canada has the information he has. That would be the best way to approach this.

[Kevin Sorenson, Canadian Alliance, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it would be an excellent idea for the solicitor general or his parliamentary secretary to take a tour of some of our prisons. It is very obvious that we have a rampant drug problem in our prisons as well as other problems. Coerced by threats and intimidation, correctional officers as well as visitors have been implicated in drug smuggling and drug distribution.

Quite obviously, we must look beyond what the solicitor general offered to the House yesterday as a solution.

I ask the solicitor general this. What is being done to effectively rid our prisons of drugs? What new measures is he considering in light of the huge problem?

[Lynn Myers, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I have toured the prisons across Canada many times and will continue to do so in my capacity. I am pleased to report that not only do we have ion scanners in place, but drug dogs as well.

We will continue to ensure that safety is priority number one. We will continue to ensure that we have the best prison system in the world. We will continue to ensure that Canada stands proud in this very great area.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, there is a consensus in place in Quebec on the importance of home care and the methods for delivering that care so as to meet the needs of the public.

Unfortunately, once again, the funds are in Ottawa while the needs and the expertise, along with the consensus, are in Quebec.

Rather than initiating his own national health care policy, would the Minister of Health not agree that he should transfer the funds to Quebec and leave the people who really know what they are doing to do their job, that is Quebec and the provinces?

[Jeannot Castonguay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that our colleague is raising this matter, because in September 2000, when the ministers of health met together, they reached an agreement: $800 million would be devoted to primary care, which includes this type of project.

I must also point out that $135 million were available to Quebec, but we are still waiting for Quebec to sit down at the table and reach an agreement on the way it will receive these funds.

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

Mr. Speaker, since Quebec is already well advanced in the establishment of a home care delivery program, can the Minister of Health assure us that he is going to engage in serious discussions with the Government of Quebec in order to enable it to proceed with its own program, by transferring the necessary funds to it, because Quebec is capable of being in charge of its own home care delivery program?

[Jeannot Castonguay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec, like all other Canadian provinces, is entitled to a share of Canada's assets.

As I said earlier, but I think my hon. colleague was not listening, the money is available, $135 million. It is a matter of sitting down at the table and reaching agreement in such a way as to continue to be accountable to all Canadians for the investments we make. They need to know how their money is being used.

National Security

[Myron Thompson, Canadian Alliance, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government is not making investments in security. First, the OPP had to take over immigration enforcement. Now metro Toronto police services face a $1 million shortfall because this government has downloaded security and counter-terrorism investigations on their backs.

Will the government finally make a much needed investment in the RCMP and other security services so that local police forces do not have to make up for this government's shortcomings?

[Lynn Myers, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we continue to provide the necessary tools and appropriate resources to the RCMP. For example, since the last budget, close to $3 billion has been provided. This speaks volumes about the commitment of the government when it comes to security and safety, not only in our neighbourhoods but in our cities, towns, villages and indeed across Canada. That is exactly what the government stands for: safety and security for all Canadians wherever they live.

[Myron Thompson, Canadian Alliance, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the answer I just heard certainly does not address what the Toronto police department is saying, which is that it is short $1 million. It is not getting a penny and has not had any help.

The government pushed through terrorism legislation with the expectation that our police forces would administer the new laws and did it without any funding. It is called putting the cart before the horse.

Will the government put the funds in place for our police forces so the legislation will actually be effective? Yes or no.

[Lynn Myers, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite is saying that Mr. Harris and the province of Ontario are not doing their job with respect to metro Toronto police, then I agree with him.

What I do know is that we at the federal government level continue to provide the resources and the tools necessary to make sure that our country, as a whole, is safe and secure for all residents wherever they live in this great country.

Impaired Driving

[Robert Bertrand, Liberal, Pontiac—Gatineau—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, impaired driving is a serious problem in Quebec and across Canada. Too many people die tragically and pointlessly every year.

Does the Minister of Justice plan on introducing new initiatives to respond more effectively to the problem of driving under the influence of alcohol?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member raises a very serious question for all of us as the holiday season approaches. In the last year for which we have statistics, 1999, 906 innocent people lost their lives due to impaired drivers. The government has taken action in Bill C-82 and Bill C-18.

Let me say that, with the co-operation of all parties in the House, we are introducing a new amendment to the criminal code that will involve ignition interlock devices. These devices have been used successfully in provinces like Alberta and Quebec. Today's legislation will ensure that we keep more impaired drivers off the road, thereby saving lives.