House of Commons Hansard #11 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was banks.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, recent scientific breakthroughs in discovering the code of the human genome point to a world of science in feverish activity.
While the Baird report on this issue dates from 1993, and although we have asked the government on a number of occasions to give us its position on these fundamental issues, nothing has been forthcoming.
When will the government finally assume its responsibilities and introduce proper legislation before it is too late?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has raised a very interesting question, but one that requires a detailed answer. I will therefore take it under consideration.
Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, with its irresponsibility and its inexplicable lethargy in dealing with the matter of cloning, is the government waiting for businesses operating in this sector to set up here simply because there is no regulation?
Reproductive TechnologiesOral Question Period
February 12th, 2001 / 2:45 p.m.
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, the government has established the Canadian biotechnology advisory committee. It is a committee of independent experts to advise it on policy matters related to biotechnology in all these questions.
This spring CBAC will be consulting with Canadians across the country on all of the matters that have been raised and will report back to government. In due course government will decide on the next steps.
John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC
Mr. Speaker, on Friday the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced a plan which will result in the buyout of 20% of maritime fishermen.
Privately the minister has stated that the government is prepared to spend almost $500 million on his plan, which will gut fishing communities in the maritime provinces. The minister claims that this destructive policy is the government's necessary response to the Marshall decision. Will the minister table the government's legal opinion that obliges him to proceed with this destructive and divisive plan?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, once again the hon. member has his facts all wrong. On Friday the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and I put forward a long term plan to deal with the Marshall decision.
We are on a two track system. The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development is looking at the broader issues of aboriginal rights and treaty rights. As Minister of Fisheries and Oceans I am continuing the good work that we did last year in building agreement and providing entrance into the fishery by the aboriginal community as asked by the Marshall decision.
We are responding. It was very successful last year and we will continue to do so.
John M. Cummins Canadian Alliance Delta—South Richmond, BC
Mr. Speaker, the supreme court has stated that the purpose of recognizing aboriginal rights was to reconcile aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities. The government's response to the Marshall decision has failed miserably on this point.
We have obtained documents under access to information which show that the Prime Minister received advice on the Marshall decision from the Privy Council, contrary to what we hear from the minister.
How does the minister explain away this contradiction? Will he table the legal opinion on which his policy is based?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, I was before the fisheries committee of which the hon. member is a member. We clearly pointed out what the legal position of the government was in terms of interpretation of the Marshall decision.
The Marshall decision clearly said that there is a right to fish commercially. We are responding to the decision and will continue to do so.
Last year, when the opposition member was saying it could not work, we had 30 signed agreements. We had aboriginal people earning a livelihood and participating in the fishery. It has worked very well. We will continue. We have a long term plan. Unfortunately they do not have a plan.
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Bras D'Or—Cape Breton, NS
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Bras d'Or—Cape Breton, and indeed throughout all of Cape Breton, we see evidence of good work being done by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and its sister agency of Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation. However the official opposition has stated that regional development agencies such as ACOA will be abolished.
My question is for the minister of state responsible for ACOA. Given the recent tabling of ACOA's departmental performance report and the auditor general's report, could the minister tell the House about ACOA's effectiveness throughout Atlantic Canada?
Robert Thibault LiberalMinister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
Mr. Speaker, let me congratulate the hon. member for Bras d'Or—Cape Breton on his election to the House. I thank him for his first question. It is good to hear a good question from across the aisle.
The performance report summarizes the broad scope of ACOA's impact in Atlantic Canada. ACOA has met or exceeded its targets in terms of job creation, loans to rural businesses and assistance to new exporters.
The five year survival rate of ACOA clients is two and a half times better than that of other Atlantic firms. In addition, employee payrolls of ACOA clients continue—
Atlantic Canada Opportunities AgencyOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. member for Wild Rose.
Myron Thompson Canadian Alliance Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, when I raised a question of whether the immigration minister likely briefed Fhang Wei, a high ranking government official who had been indicted by the U.S. for people smuggling, the government House leader said this had been proven to be unsubstantiated.
The RCMP did not investigate this matter. The CIC says it did not. Could I ask the House leader who in the dickens investigated this?
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, when the RCMP receives a complaint it evaluates the situation and decides if an investigation should or should not take place. It evaluates the information that is given to it. Obviously in this case it did not investigate.
Myron Thompson Canadian Alliance Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, obviously the RCMP was at this meeting. I do not think it was there to carry the ministers bags.
They must know who was at the meeting. They must have a list of who was at the meeting. I would suggest that the minister provide the House with a list of attendants because national security is at risk when these kinds of things happen. I find it amazing that it is not being investigated.
When it is national security, a crime against all of Canada, why would they ignore it?
Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I inform the member opposite that Colin Walker of the RCMP was present on the trip. A spot was offered to my critic. Unfortunately the Alliance member chose not to attend.
He should leave his conspiracy theories at the door. This is the House of Commons, not the X-Files .
Richard Marceau Bloc Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, five years ago, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, struck at a cost of $50 million, tabled a well received report. Since then, the government has been dragging its feet and refusing to act on it.
The native peoples have had enough empty promises and want specific action to meet their desperate needs.
Can the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development tell us today which recommendations by the Erasmus-Dussault commission he intends to implement in this session?
Bob Nault LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, in my 30 seconds I do not think I could explain to the hon. member all the things the Government of Canada has done as it relates to the royal commission.
If the member would allow us to brief him, we would give him the explanation of what “Gathering Strength” has done for first nation people and where we are going in the future.
Jean Augustine Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have expressed concern about the situation in Sudan. It is one year since the special adviser to DFAIT, Mr. Harker, submitted his report.
Could the Secretary of State for Africa tell us what Canada's position has been in response to Mr. Harker's report?
David Kilgour LiberalSecretary of State (Latin America and Africa)
Mr. Speaker, since the Harker report the government has done a number of things, including opening an office of the Canadian embassy in Khartoum with the mandate to promote the peace process in human rights. Second, it appointed Lois Wilson as our special envoy to the Sudan peace process. Third, we expect Talisman Energy to avoid becoming involved in actions that result in more suffering for civilians.
Much more shrieks to be done in the conflict that has been going on now for almost 45 years. The suffering by civilians and children is simply beyond belief.
Gary Lunn Canadian Alliance Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, earlier today the Minister of Foreign Affairs suggested that we should look at our trade policy with respect to human rights before we start questioning the government.
I would like to quote the Canadian Alliance policy which says “We will not provide foreign aid to governments with a record of human rights violations”. Which part of that quote does the Minister of Foreign Affairs not agree with?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should listen to what he is saying. When he read from his policy he talked about foreign aid. What is the position on trade? Does he want to tell western Canadians that we should not sell wheat and other grains to China?
We are able to pursue human rights and trade at the same time. The Prime Minister is leading a vigorous dialogue in support of human rights in China and will continue to do so during his trip. He will also pursue the interest of western Canadians and all Canadians in more trade with China.
Pierre Brien Bloc Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Speaker, earlier, the Minister of Industry did not seem to know it was his department that asked the conference board to conduct an investigation into the oil industry. The preliminary version of that report has been circulating since October.
Does the minister have the final report of the Conference Board?
Petroleum Product PricesOral Question Period
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. gentleman for his question and inform him that the conference board is concluding its work with respect to the particular question. I expect the report will be made public in the days if not weeks ahead.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, the auditor general clearly said that we do not have enough good scientists in the government today. It is certainly clear that we should not be trying to gag the ones we have.
My question is for the Minister of Health. Why does he attack employees who are trying to protect the public? Will he instead concentrate on building a fail-safe system of dealing with the potential mad cow disease here rather than grandstanding elsewhere?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is mistaken in her choice of language. As I understand it, the officials in question were not working in the branch that responded to the recommendation of the food inspection agency on banning beef from Brazil.
They had no direct connection or responsibility in the area. I think it is quite proper for questions to be asked of them by their superiors as to why they were taking a position on some matter for which they were not responsible.
In that connection, I repeat, the officials in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency found that there was a case for banning the import of that beef. They recommended that to the minister.