Debates of Feb. 19th, 2001

Free Trade Area Of The Americas

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that here in Canada we have an approach to multilateral and bilateral agreements that involves a parliamentary committee. The positions of our government, my negotiating mandate, were put on the Internet site and very closely reflected what had been said by the parliamentary committee.

We worked with the parliamentary committee and our position is very closely in line with its wishes. It is, moreover, our intention to continue to do a good job as far as openness in the negotiations is concerned, and the negotiations are being discussed with the provinces.

The Economy

[Ken Epp, Canadian Alliance, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister filed his fiscal flight plan when the financial skies were clear and the winds were calm. Now the forecasts clearly indicate some fiscal turbulence ahead and a revised flight plan is called for.

Will the finance minister table a new budget reflecting the present reality, or is he intent on risking the safety of his Canadian passengers on only a hope and a prayer?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the hon. member's party talked about foresight. At the time we tabled the October statement we were told that there was probably excessive stimulus in the budget we were submitting, that we were probably cutting taxes too much and that we were spending too much.

The October statement tax cuts which came in on January 1 are exactly the kind of medicine that the Canadian economy required. We showed that foresight.

[Ken Epp, Canadian Alliance, Elk Island, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister is ignoring the signs that are evident to many others. Automobile and high tech companies in Canada are taking corrective action. The fiscal leaders in the United States are taking corrective action.

Only the finance minister wants to go into the future with a blindfold on his eyes. Why does he not just do what is right and table a plan, a new budget, that will minimize the damage to the security of Canadians?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the fiscal action they are talking about in the United States is major tax reductions spread over a 10 year period, with the bulk of them to occur at the end of the period.

In our case we brought in a massive tax plan on a per capita basis equal to that of the United States. It was not done over 10 years. It was done over 5 years and ours was front end loaded. The fact is that while the hon. member talks about it, we did it.

Free Trade Area Of The Americas

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when he addressed the Organization of American States, in Washington, the Prime Minister said, and I quote “The free trade area of the Americas cannot be about trade alone”.

Later on, he added “It must be holistic in nature. It must include improving the efficiency of financial markets, protecting labour rights and the environment, and having better development cooperation”.

Unfortunately, that position is not shared by the Department of Foreign Affairs. My question is: What is Canada's true position regarding the negotiations on the free trade area of the Americas, particularly as regards labour rights and the environment?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, obviously the Prime Minister speaks on behalf of the government.

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is the government itself that is creating confusion in the preparations for the negotiations on the free trade area of the Americas.

I am asking this government, whoever can answer, whether it is prepared to hold a debate in the House, so that we know what we are about to negotiate regarding the free trade area of the Americas?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. The Prime Minister and myself said exactly the same thing. When he addressed the Organization of American States, the Prime Minister was referring to all the work that we are going to do during the Summit of the Americas.

That summit will of course include discussions on trade. But the Prime Minister also said that the summit would provide an opportunity to discuss with the other countries issues such as the environment and labour rights which, of course, impact on one another.

The Quebec summit will deal with all these issues. We on this side of the House are all on the same wavelength.

Ethics Counsellor

[Grant McNally, Canadian Alliance, Dewdney—Alouette, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we have been asking about the Prime Minister's interest in the Grand-Mère Golf Club for two years but he still refuses to answer questions to Canadians whether at home or abroad.

The Prime Minister has described his unsold shares in the golf course as a debt that was owed him, as a receivable and as an asset.

The ethics counsellor described them as a bad debt and a financial obligation to the Prime Minister. How could the Prime Minister expect Canadians to believe he had no personal interest in collecting on the debt owed to him?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the facts are clear. The Prime Minister did not own the shares in question in the 1996 period.

This has been stated over and over again. This has been confirmed by the ethics counsellor. Insofar as there are any allegations of criminal wrongdoing, the RCMP has found on the facts that these allegations are totally unfounded.

[Grant McNally, Canadian Alliance, Dewdney—Alouette, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister is simply wrong. The Prime Minister owned shares in the golf course through his company, J & AC Consultants. He claimed he put all his affairs in a blind trust when he became Prime Minister.

If all the dealings of his company were really in a blind trust, how did the Prime Minister even become aware that the sale of the shares in the golf course had fallen through? If these shares were really in a blind trust, why did he personally intervene and phone the ethics counsellor on the evening of January 27, 1996, to discuss this matter?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the shares in question, as I understand it, did not have to be in a blind trust because at the relevant time we are talking about the Prime Minister did not own them.

Even though the transaction in question did not result in immediate payment, the shares did not revert to the physical possession or the ownership of the Prime Minister. Those are the facts. In effect those were confirmed also by the RCMP release today stating that on the facts of the matter there is no criminal—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Tobique—Mactaquac.

The Environment

[Andy Savoy, Liberal, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday of last week the Canadian Foundation for Climate Change and Atmospheric Sciences announced an investment of more than $3.9 million for climate change and clean air scientific research.

Could the Minister of the Environment tell the House how this will help Canada reach both its climate change goals and its atmospheric pollution goals?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Foundation for Climate Change and Atmospheric Sciences is an arm's length foundation which was established last April by the government with a $60 million grant.

The member is quite correct. The grants announced on February 15 will provide almost $4 million in funding to Canadian universities over the next three years. There were some 15 projects approved. They will assist us in understanding climate change, although I might add that more research needs to be done.

National Defence

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians wish to know and have it verified that the government is to cut our air force by half.

Will the minister of defence please tell Canada, those men and women working in our military service and those civilian workers in air force bases around the country that their jobs and bases will be protected? Will Canada maintain control of its sovereignty over its waters and the far Arctic as well?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we are investing in modernizing and upgrading our air force. More than half the number of planes that are being retired from service are being replaced by a public-private sector partnership arrangement whereby new aircraft will be brought into the system.

The Tutors will go out, for example, and in will come the Hawks and the Harvards as part of NATO flying training. That will be an even better service. The upgrades in terms of the CF-18s will make them among the best and most effective fighting equipment in the world. We are investing to modernize our Canadian armed forces.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary question is for the Minister of Veterans Affairs. Last week in the House he said that once the applications were in he would go back to cabinet to see if there was any more money.

The merchant mariners have done more for the country than the government ever has. What those remaining veterans and their surviving spouses would like to know is whether there is enough money left in the pot to satisfy all the needs of the merchant mariners in their compensation claim against the government.

[Ronald J. Duhamel, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification) (Francophonie)]

Mr. Speaker, I am apprised that merchant mariners have made an extraordinary contribution to the country.

My colleague should recognize, and I believe that he does, that the initial request was for $50 million. That was insufficient. I was able to go back and get another $20 million. That will be insufficient as well.

I am waiting to see what the reviews will yield so that I know exactly how much I have to ask for. Until the it would not be appropriate to make a request because we do not have a specific amount, but the government and I want to be as accommodating as possible.

[Elsie Wayne, Progressive Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, we just heard the minister of defence talking about how he is investing to modernize the air force. Let me state that they are cutting the number of planes from 505 to 280. The flying time for the Auroras that are left is being cut by 60%.

How could the minister of defence justify such reckless cuts which will leave us with very little coastal patrols to defend against illegal fishing, illegal refugees and environmental hazards?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to meet all our obligations in terms of the protection of the country and in terms of patrol and surveillance of our coastal waters.

We are talking about a reduction of five aircraft in the Aurora surveillance and patrol aircraft. We are talking about a reduction in the number of hours.

However, we are making that plane more efficient by the upgrades that will be put into it. That will in fact cut down on the number of training hours, but in terms of the surveillance capacity there will be no diminution of the service provided to Canadians.

[Elsie Wayne, Progressive Conservative, Saint John, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think the minister of defence knows what is happening in his department.

The Auroras are being cut from 19,000 hours to 8,000 hours of flying time. This is not only an issue of military capability but of sovereignty. Cuts to our air forces will leave our coastlines virtually unprotected while forcing us to rely heavily on the United States.

How could the minister defend actions that so clearly threaten the independence of our country?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the 19,000 figure is wrong. The current number of hours is about 11,000. We are talking about reducing that to 8,000 in 2003-04, but that includes more than just surveillance. That includes the training hours.

With new equipment and new simulators we will be able to cut down on the number of hours spent in training in the actual Auroras and still be able to maintain the hours spent on surveillance and protection of Canadian coastal waters.

Terrorism

[Vic Toews, Canadian Alliance, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last week the United Kingdom enacted the terrorism act 2000, wide ranging legislation designed to counter terrorism and provide authorities with the necessary tools to combat those who use violence and terrorism to advance their causes.

When the government adopted the convention in 1999 it was expected that legislation would soon follow. To date, legislation has not yet been tabled. Where is the legislation?