House of Commons Hansard #13 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was crime.

Topics

Business Development Bank Of CanadaOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Lanark—Carleton.

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Scott Reid Canadian Alliance Lanark—Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, several days ago the ethics counsellor stated that the Prime Minister's shares in the Shawinigan golf course were not in a blind trust.

Why then did the industry minister publicly state that those shares were in a blind trust?

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, in a scrum outside the House I made reference to the shares being in a blind trust and then within two sentences corrected myself and referred to assets being looked after by trustees.

With reference to the request for information to be tabled, the leader of the Conservative Party knows much ofthat information is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act.He also knows that if I were to table that information, I would have to tender my resignation 10 seconds later.

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Scott Reid Canadian Alliance Lanark—Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to make sure that government appointments and government programs are equally available to all Canadians in all provinces.

Does the industry minister consider it fair or ethical that the Prime Minister could interfere with the Business Development Bank, with the immigrant investor fund or with any other organization to direct funds for his personal benefit?

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Bonavista—Trinity—Conception Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Brian Tobin LiberalMinister of Industry

Mr. Speaker, I would not consider it fair and I am happy to report that it did not happen. Those are the facts.

What is happening here on the basis of no evidence and no new information is a systematic attempt to use parliament through allegations and through smear to injure the character of somebody who has served the House and the country for 38 years. That is what is happening here. Members opposite know it and we know it on this side of the House as well.

Official LanguagesOral Question Period

February 14th, 2001 / 2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Rocheleau Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

A visit to the websites of the diplomatic missions in Ottawa reveals that 75% of them have no French content, while the remaining 25% contain less French than English.

Is the minister aware that this situation does not reflect the reality of Canada's two official languages?

Official LanguagesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is well aware, not long ago the website with the most French content in the world was the SchoolNet site. He will therefore accept that I am extremely aware of the importance of our bilingual reality. We are going to ensure that both languages are equally represented on the website.

Official LanguagesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Rocheleau Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the minister that my question related to the embassies located here in Ottawa.

In the same vein, can the minister tell us whether he intends to suggest to the embassies that they use both of Canada's official languages, thus enabling Quebecers and the francophones of Canada to communicate with embassies in their own language?

Official LanguagesOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Absolutely, Mr. Speaker.

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Brian Pallister Canadian Alliance Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Deputy Prime Minister may recall saying “The Prime Minister did not own shares at any relevant time”. This is just wrong.

Canadians know that the Prime Minister owned shares at the time when he met with immigrant investors. Canadians know that he owned the shares at the time he recruited funding support from the president of the Business Development Bank.

My question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. If these are not relevant times, what are?

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is as out to lunch in the Alliance Party as he was in the Conservative Party.

He is quite wrong in saying that the Prime Minister solicited investor funds or solicited funds from the Business Development Bank. This was confirmed by the ethics counsellor. What I said yesterday is correct and what he says today is wrong.

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Brian Pallister Canadian Alliance Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, let us see if it is as foggy over the Grand Banks. Last week we asked about the Prime Minister's stake in the hotel Grand-Mère and the industry minister replied, and I quote from Hansard , “There were no private benefits by the Prime Minister whatsoever”.

That statement counters the ethics counsellor's own words. It serves to heighten the suspicion of the Canadian people about the Prime Minister, his leader. Why does he not clear the air today and clarify the erroneous statements that he made in the House last week?

Ethics CounsellorOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I ask the hon. member why he does not clarify and withdraw the erroneous statements on which he bases his question.

The ethics counsellor did not find what the hon. member asserts. The ethics counsellor found that the Prime Minister acted perfectly correctly and perfectly properly.

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert Liberal Oak Ridges, ON

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Recently Canada established diplomatic relations with North Korea. The regime in Pyongyang is signalling its interest in modernizing its economy with the latest technology.

Given the fact that North Korea's missile and nuclear program has contributed to uncertainty in the region and that it has withdrawn from the International Atomic Energy Agency, how will Canada approach engagement with this regime in terms of trade, regional security issues. and the need to encourage and promote North Korea into rejoining the atomic energy agency?

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, first let me say that I think all members of the House recognize that President Kim Dae-jung of South Korea won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in opening up the Korean peninsula and building peace there, very deservedly so.

Canada has followed his encouragement in establishing diplomatic relations with the north. That provides us with an increased opportunity to work with the North Koreans in advancing Canadian values, including democratic rights, human rights, economic development and trade issues.

On the specific matter of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Canada annually co-ordinates a resolution before the agency at an annual meeting concerning North Korea. We will continue to do so.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Andy Burton Canadian Alliance Skeena, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. The Morricetown Band Council in my riding receives nominal roll funding from his department to pay for its students enrolled in School District No. 54.

That money has been transferred to the band from the department, and yet the band refused to pay its commitment of over three-quarters of a million dollars owed to the school board.

Why has the minister or his officials not intervened in this case and forced the band council to meet its commitments instead of withholding federal money meant to pay schooling costs?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Kenora—Rainy River Ontario

Liberal

Bob Nault LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, I do not know the particulars of the case, but I will tell the member that the policy of the Government of Canada, as it relates to Indian affairs and the agreement we have with the province of British Columbia, is that if a first nation does not pay its tuition agreement to a board the Government of Canada through the department of Indian affairs will intervene to see that money is paid.

At this point there may be some particulars of the case which would not enable us to resolve that issue at this point. I will take that under advisement and get back to the hon. member.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Andy Burton Canadian Alliance Skeena, BC

Mr. Speaker, the minister should know. We have tried to contact his department in Vancouver with no response or no resolution. My concern is for the education of the 120 children of the Morricetown band affected by this and for the huge shortfall the school board is encountering.

If the minister cannot force the band council to use its federal funding earmarked for education to pay its schooling commitments, why give the band council responsibility for the money in the first place? Where is the accountability?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Kenora—Rainy River Ontario

Liberal

Bob Nault LiberalMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, without knowing the details of the case I just want to make it very clear to the member and his party opposite that we well know, because we listened to this during the last campaign, they take the view automatically that somehow a first nation is wrong, no matter what occurs across the country. Without looking at the details that party believes that first nation people cannot run their own affairs.

Sometimes when those funds are held back by the first nation band council it is because the board itself is not meeting its commitment to those children.

Organized CrimeOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Bellehumeur Bloc Berthier—Montcalm, QC

Mr. Speaker, far from abating, the war between motorcycle gangs is entering a new phase. Yesterday's shooting in the middle of the autoroute is a very clear sign that these gangs will do anything to achieve their ends.

The minister has said that she intended to table anti-gang legislation quickly. Could she, who seems more inclined to put young people rather than the real criminals in prison, tell us when exactly she intends to table anti-gang legislation so that Canada may have a real law?

Organized CrimeOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is fully aware, the solicitor general and I have been consulting with provincial and territorial counterparts. We have been consulting with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

As the solicitor general and I have made plain, we will be bringing forward a package of amendments to the criminal code as well as resource and enforcement measures as soon as our consultations are concluded.

Veterans AffairsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON

Mr. Speaker, yesterday's Ottawa Sun reported that Mr. Norman Ryan, a veteran of the second world war, only recently received his medals from Veterans Affairs Canada, some 55 years after the war's end.

Would the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell the House why this veteran had to wait so long and how we could make sure others are not caught in this situation?

Veterans AffairsOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Saint Boniface Manitoba

Liberal

Ronald J. Duhamel LiberalMinister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification) (Francophonie)

Mr. Speaker, this is an unfortunate situation. Obviously Veterans Affairs Canada wants to make sure that veterans who have merited decorations and medals receive them as quickly as possible.

Sometimes we do not have the forwarding address of a veteran, but I want to give this assurance: every time we get a request we will follow up immediately. I would invite all veterans who have not received their decorations or their medals to contact Veterans Affairs Canada and we will make sure they get them immediately.

HealthOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Howard Hilstrom Canadian Alliance Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, even the government's own scientists have claimed that there is no threat to the health of Canadians from Brazilian beef. This is about political interference, not food safety.

Years of effort to have world trade decisions based on science and not politics is flying out the window. Did the minister of agriculture approve of this reckless action before it happened or was it the idea of so-called Captain Canada, otherwise known as our industry minister? Who was it?

HealthOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario

Liberal

Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should get his facts straight. The two people who spoke out on this matter were in a department of government that was not dealing with it. It was not part of their files and quite frankly they had no business speaking out on a file in which they were not involved.

The decision was made based on our concern, obviously not the concern of those on the other side, for the health of the people of Canada. We will stick by that decision and we will conduct a risk assessment as necessary.