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.
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, this is the first time I have had the opportunity to congratulate the hon. member on her new role as critic to the department. I hope she has as much fun with the files as I have had.
She will be interested to know that in the department we have a 94% success rate in processing employment insurance claims. That is not good enough. We want to be 100% on the money, and that means working with employers, employees and staff in the department. We will continue to work in that regard.
Val Meredith Canadian Alliance South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC
Mr. Speaker, contrary to rumour, I do have a compassionate soul.
Last year's comprehensive tracking system report for employment insurance stated that the most likely value of incorrect benefit payouts was $651 million, or 6.6% of all benefits paid.
The 6.6% rate of error is more than 1.5 times worse than the historical rate of 4%. Could the minister explain why Canadians should trust her to manage their tax dollars?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, again let us be clear that 94% of the $9 billion in employment insurance benefits are paid correctly.
The hon. member will understand that this is a partnership with employers and employees. There have been significant changes in the Employment Insurance Act since 1996. We are working together to ensure that benefits are paid accurately and on time because they are important to the lives of Canadians.
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has indicated in the House that there has been opposition from other countries about their negotiating position relating to the free trade zone of the Americas being made public. They have a right to that, but the population of Canada and Quebec has the right to know what is being negotiated.
Does the government commit to making public the working texts of the nine sectorial negotiating groups in order to ensure that there is true public debate? Let us be clear. We do not want to know what the others' positions are, nor the Canadian position, just what is on the table, what is going to be negotiated.
Don Boudria LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, in recent days, the hon. member has raised a number of questions in the House on this matter.
He is surely aware that I have, on behalf of the government, made the offer of an information session for all MPs and for each caucus separately, so that they will be properly informed on this matter.
Pierre Paquette Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, I do not think we understand each other properly here. I am not talking about a briefing session. We want to know the contents of the basic text on which they will be negotiating.
We remember how Canada nearly got us into signing an agreement like the multilateral agreement on investment, which everyone now considers a disaster.
Will the government make a commitment that no agreement will be ratified as part of the free trade zone of the Americas negotiations without a debate and vote in this House?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we have made our position available on the Internet. It is a public position. Obviously, the Bloc Quebecois does not have the same position as its Parti Quebecois masters in Quebec, who obviously want to participate fully in these negotiations and are in favour of such an agreement. This is a major difference of opinion.
Garry Breitkreuz Canadian Alliance Yorkton—Melville, SK
Mr. Speaker, the registering and licensing of firearms has been so badly bungled by the justice department that the government is now trying to privatize the mess.
The system is riddled with errors. Even the government's own privacy commissioner has raised numerous concerns and last week said that it may be necessary to have an official review of the whole firearms system.
Is privatization an attempt by the justice minister to distance herself and the government from this huge mess so that they will not have to answer questions and be directly accountable?
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, yet again the member for Yorkton—Melville has it all wrong.
We are not privatizing the firearms licensing and registration system. Let me reassure the hon. member that the government, and in particular the Minister of Justice, will remain fully accountable and responsible for this program.
Garry Breitkreuz Canadian Alliance Yorkton—Melville, SK
Mr. Speaker, despite what the minister says, it is on the Internet.
A week ago the minister claimed the registry was a phenomenal success. Now she is privatizing it because of “fiscal and operational” concerns. Private information in the gun registry will be used as evidence in court and would result in SWAT teams being mobilized.
The gun registry is already infamous for its mistakes. Who will be liable for the mistakes made by a private company running the registry?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, although the member's assertion about privatization is inaccurate, it is very interesting that the Alliance Party is in desperation now opposing privatization.
What will it be abandoning next? I thought it was in favour of privatization, even though this is not our position with respect to the gun control system.
Sarkis Assadourian Liberal Brampton Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry. Recently DaimlerChrysler announced the elimination of the entire production shift at its Brampton plant.
Will the minister please inform the House on the steps the federal government is taking to assist the automobile industry, in particular those affected in my riding of Brampton Centre?
Automobile IndustryOral Question Period
Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador
Liberal
Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Brampton Centre for his question. Indeed he has been most concerned about the decisions announced by DaimlerChrysler.
I want to inform him, regarding the DaimlerChrysler Bramalea assembly plant in Brampton, that the job reductions there are a result of a move to two shifts from the current three.
I have had discussions with the president of DaimlerChrysler Canada and the CAW. We have been in close contact with the province of Ontario. We will do everything in our power, that is all the affected departments, labour, HRDC and others, to ensure that these reductions and the impact on workers are kept to a minimum.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Only the Minister of Foreign Affairs could tell the House whether or not the government intends to follow up on what the Prime Minister has been saying in China by co-sponsoring a resolution at the upcoming meeting of the UN commission on human rights.
Could the minister tell the House whether or not it is the intention of the government to co-sponsor such a resolution?
John Manley LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the meeting lies well out into the future. We still do not have any proposed text or language.
As is always the case, before we make a decision on whether or not we would co-sponsor, we would want to look at the language that is proposed and decide whether it meets the objectives that Canada would want to pursue.
Bill Blaikie NDP Winnipeg—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, I must say that is a pretty timid response when we consider the way the government is prepared to stand up to Brazil. Perhaps, if we could get China to do something to Bombardier, we would have a whole different foreign policy.
While I am talking about big corporations, I notice that CIDA has given a grant of $280,000 to Monsanto for a project in China. Is the minister responsible aware of this, and does she approve of this kind of corporate welfare?
Maria Minna LiberalMinister for International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, China had already approved the use of Bt cotton in the country. China asked Canada to provide Canadian know-how and expertise to ensure the appropriate use and management of this crop.
The project is consistent with Canada's biotechnology guidelines. We adhere to them 100%. CIDA did not provide money directly to Monsanto.
Rick Borotsik Progressive Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
The decision to ban the beef in Brazil, was it done through the minister's office in CFIA or was the direction given only by the Minister of Industry?
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, as officials in the CFIA outlined very clearly in a technical briefing on Friday in this building, the recommendation comes from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
As minister, I was certainly informed of that recommendation, but the recommendation came from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for the banning of the importation. The recommendation to recall product comes, as it should and always does, from the Ministry of Health.
Rick Borotsik Progressive Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food sat back and watched agriculture being destroyed. Now he is opening the doors so that other countries can follow the same rules as Canada, not based on science but based on politics.
Why is the minister standing here right now and suggesting that other countries should not follow the same rules that he set for banning Canadian exports?
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I find it absolutely appalling that the hon. member stands in his place and says that it is not the role and duty of the government to protect the food safety of the people in Canada.
This is a decision on food safety and has absolutely nothing to do with trade. Again, I am very disappointed that the hon. member says over there and says the decision should be something else.
Larry Spencer Canadian Alliance Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, yesterday it was reported that Canada's federal prison staff may resort to job action or lawsuits after a top down decision by Correctional Service Canada. The decision will subject guards to more frequent security searches than the convicts.
We are all for a zero tolerance policy on drugs in our federal prisons, but could the solicitor general explain why his war on drugs is focused more on honest, law-abiding staff than on the convicted criminals they guard?
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, this is a security measure which helps the staff of Correctional Service Canada. Quite simply, if they are under pressure to bring drugs into an institution, and the prisoners and the staff know they will be searched on the way in, it makes common sense that they would not be asked to bring them in.
What we want is drugs kept out of our prison system, and that is what we will do.
Larry Spencer Canadian Alliance Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, we know what the government's on the fly approach has resulted in before. Last week we saw the heating rebate fiasco result in countless prisoners receiving heating rebate cheques after the government proceeded with haste before the election.
Once again the government has proceeded with haste. It has ignored its promise to consult with the Union of Solicitor General Employees before coming to any decision regarding daily searches of prison guards. Why has the solicitor general chosen to ignore his promise to consult with the union?
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, there are always measures taken by Correctional Service Canada.
When I became the solicitor general I indicated that I wanted to stop the movement of drugs into our penal institutions. That is what we will do.