Debates of Feb. 2nd, 2001

Yukon

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, I bring greetings to the House from the farthest constituency in this land, the beautiful Yukon, home of a strong and proud people, some of whom are descendants of the world's greatest gold rush, home of the Skookum Jim Friendship Centre and some of the most innovative self-government agreements in the world today, and home of the Canadian poet who wrote the best selling book in poetry history, Robert W. Service.

I am proud to serve here with my 300 colleagues to fulfil the mandate that we were all given in the last election: to build a strong economy so that we can help those most in need.

In the days to come, people will be hearing about our mandate, and about the Yukon. Thank you, Merci, Mahsi Cho, Gunetisch .

Sandra Schmirler

[Carol Skelton, Canadian Alliance, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your election win.

This morning I would like to thank the riding of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar for electing me in the last federal election as its member of parliament.

The beginning of Winterlude this weekend in the beautiful city of Ottawa makes me remember the wonderful young woman who, so sadly, passed away last year in Saskatchewan. Sandra Schmirler, Olympic women's curling gold medallist, was born and raised in my hometown of Biggar, Saskatchewan. Today, in this historic building, I pay tribute to her and her family.

Sports

[John Finlay, Liberal, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my sincere congratulations on your election. You have the confidence of your colleagues and I know you will preside with honour and fairness over Canada's most cherished democratic institution.

I also rise today to welcome the 2001 Nokia Cup Ontario Men's Curling Championship to the city of Woodstock in my riding of Oxford.

All eyes will be on the Woodstock and District Community Complex next week, February 5 to 11, as the top men's curling teams from across Ontario compete for the Nokia Cup. This is the final step before the winning team represents Ontario at the national championships in Ottawa this March.

I commend the organizers and the over 300 volunteers for all their hard work. In particular, I recognize Mr. Verne Kean, the chairman of the committee, who is a former student of mine. Best wishes to all for a fantastic event.

André D'Allemagne

[Yvan Loubier, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is in mourning. Yesterday André d'Allemagne, a pioneer of the sovereignist movement, passed away at the age of 71.

A founding member of the Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale, he made a significant contribution to the advancement of the indépendantiste cause.

A figurehead for the Quebec sovereignist movement, he was also a visionary whose analyses have not become dated.

In a text that appeared in the magazine L'Indépendance in December 1962, he wrote as follows about the new relationship between a sovereign Quebec and Canada: “In this field, as in many others, everything possible under Confederation is possible within independence, while many things impossible under Confederation would be made possible by independence”.

André d'Allemagne leaves a rich heritage for all those who share his belief that Quebec must assume its rightful place in the world.

On behalf of all members of the Bloc Quebecois, my sincere condolences to the family and friends of André d'Allemagne.

Nunavut

[Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Nunavut, I congratulate you on being elected Speaker of the House of Commons.

I want to thank the wonderful people of Nunavut for their resounding endorsement of me to continue representing them in the House of Commons. I look forward to working strongly on their behalf and the throne speech contained very positive announcements to start on that road. We are thankful that there is a strong commitment to the aboriginal people in the mandate of our government because we only want to share opportunities with other Canadians.

The Speech from the Throne gives us great hope for the future. I look forward to working with the government of Nunavut and the federal government on key issues such as education, health and housing. Mutna .

Natural Resources

[Dick Harris, Canadian Alliance, Prince George—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the examples of indifference or even ignorance shown by the Liberal government toward British Columbians occur on a regular basis.

Here is just another example of many. B.C.'s forest industry is being devastated by a mountain pine beetle infestation that is a natural disaster equal to an ice storm in Ottawa or a flood in Quebec. Yet, while the mandate of the Canadian Forest Service includes assistance in regard to insect damage, the federal government has done nothing to help British Columbia's forest industry out of this true natural disaster.

Once again, as a B.C. MP, I say to the Liberal government, thanks for nothing.

Human Rights

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the welcome release of Chinese-Canadian academic KunLun Zhang should not however obscure the following facts: that Professor Zhang should never have been arrested, detained, tortured or imprisoned to begin with; that thousands upon thousands of Falun Gong remain in detention for nothing other than giving expression to their fundamental freedoms of belief and conscience, assembly and association, expression and information; that an exercise in meditation spiritual movement dedicated to values of truth, compassion and tolerance has been declared illegal; and, that we are witnessing the most persistent and pervasive assault on human rights in China since Tiananmen Square, including violations of rights of religious adherents, Tibetans, Internet users, democracy supports, workers and the like.

While Chinese-Canadian relations should be encouraged and trade is a form of constructive engagement, the trade mission cannot proceed as if this is business as usual. The protection and promotion of human rights must be a priority on the Canadian agenda, an expression of who we are and what we do.

As one who acted as counsel to Professor Zhang, I take this opportunity to thank all members of this place and, in particular, the ministers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade for their assistance in this matter.

Occupational Health And Safety

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we are nearing the 10th anniversary of the Westray mine disaster, where 26 miners were killed due to gross negligence and a wilful blindness to workplace safety and health.

Last spring the justice committee unanimously agreed that the government should table legislation to amend the criminal code to include corporate accountability in the case of gross negligence causing death in the workplace.

Today we are reminded again of the need for a Westray bill. Nova Scotia courts have just found a company guilty of a workplace accident causing death. It was fined a paltry $50,000. This is pin money for a large corporation.

I call it murder when a worker is killed at work through gross negligence. If an employer is found guilty he should not just be fined under the workplace safety and health act. He should be charged with murder under the Criminal Code of Canada. That is what the committee directed parliament to do, to table that legislation, and we are anxiously looking forward to the opportunity to debate that bill.

Status Of Women

[Sarmite Bulte, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to thank our Prime Minister for his commitment to the advancement of women and women's issues. In fact, Liberal governments both past and present have always supported the advancement of women in society.

It was under a Liberal government that Canada saw its first woman Speaker of the House of Commons and the first woman Governor General. It was under our Prime Minister that a Liberal government appointed a woman as Canada's first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Right Hon. Beverley McLachlin. It was our present Prime Minister who appointed the first woman Commissioner of Official Languages, Madam Dyane Adam. Also, since taking office our Prime Minister has made sure that half of all Canadians appointed to the Senate are women.

Again our Prime Minister made history. On January 15, 2001, he appointed the first woman to occupy the position of chief government whip, the hon. member for Ottawa West—Nepean. I congratulate both the Prime Minister and the member for Ottawa West—Nepean for this milestone.

Auditor General Of Canada

[Odina Desrochers, Bloc, Lotbinière—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on February 6, Denis Desautels, the Auditor General of Canada, will be tabling his last report in the House of Commons.

This report will summarize the ten years of Mr. Desautels' mandate. Indeed, Mr. Desautels spent ten years pointing out serious problems in all important areas, including the programs run by Human Resources Development Canada.

He spent ten years conducting fully independent audits and reviews and communicating his findings to parliament in an informative and objective fashion.

He spent ten years trying to improve parliamentary control over public moneys and promoting the use of effective management methods in the public administration.

This is why the Bloc Quebecois wishes to stress here the exceptional work done by Denis Desautels, the Auditor General of Canada. Once again, thank you for having helped improve the well-being of all Quebecers and Canadians.

Asbestos Industry

[André Bachand, Progressive Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your election as Speaker of the House. I also want to thank the residents of Richmond—Arthabaska for having made history in their own way.

That said, the asbestos industry has often been denigrated, usually in an exaggerated way.

Government standards for the chrysotile asbestos industry are not strict, consistent and accurate enough. For example, the 0.1% standard for construction work is neither measurable nor scientifically verifiable. This creates a problem for those who work in that industry.

Simply put, the regulatory provisions generate confusion and are harmful to the asbestos industry. Let us look at what is being done on the Hill with regard to buildings.

The federal government, which is a great protector of the asbestos industry on the international scene, would greatly improve its credibility if it became a facilitator, along with its provincial partners, to implement scientific methods of analysis to determine the standards relating to the use of chrysotile asbestos.

It is with the hope of seeing a true desire on the government's part to protect the interests of the asbestos industry that I join the provincial MNA for Richmond, Yvon Vallières, in asking my government to make representations to its provincial partners so as to arrive at an agreement establishing realistic standards.

Liberal Government

[Carole-Marie Allard, Liberal, Laval East, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last November 27, Canadians did the Right Honourable Prime Minister and the Liberal team the honour of giving them a third consecutive mandate. Credit for this stellar achievement goes to our Prime Minister.

The new Liberal government is going to continue its efforts to help Canadians. With our track record, all signs point towards an even better future for all.

For instance, we have reached agreement with the provinces on the implementation of a comprehensive health action plan. We have also signed an agreement with them on early childhood development to increase assistance to families with children throughout Canada.

These are some of the ways in which we are responding to the appeal so often launched by the Prime Minister to continue our efforts to make Canada an even better place in which to live.

Member For Elk Island

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

Mr. Speaker, the week leading up to the opening of parliament was a very emotional one for me.

First, the supreme court ruled to protect our children and grandchildren from pornographers. We hope now that the government will close the remaining loopholes.

Second, the court ruled that Robert Latimer's sentence for taking the life of his daughter be upheld.

It is now almost a year since my handicapped sister passed away. I restate again my profound and deep thanks to my parents for caring for her and protecting her for 55 years. What they did was immensely courageous and heroic. I thank my dear mom and dad.

I would also like to add my deepest thanks and express my appreciation for the staff at the many care centres across the country, including Maureen and her staff at my sister's care place in Saskatchewan. These people also are true heroes, working lovingly and unselfishly in their efforts to reduce and control pain and to provide a caring home life environment for their patients. I thank all of them.

Agriculture

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition has raised concerns about some of the layoffs in the auto industry and the high tech industry because of an economic turndown.

As important as those jobs are, there are tens of thousands of workers across the country who want to go to work this spring and may not be able to do so. Those are the farmers of our nation who have been waiting, some as long as three years, for dollars that are due to them from the crisis fund that is set up for them. They have not received those dollars.

Why does the Prime Minister call this program a success when many farmers are facing disaster?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we recognize the problems of many farmers across the country. The Prime Minister referred to the need for further action in his speech in the House the other day. There was also a signal in the throne speech. We are very conscious of our responsibilities and we will carry them out.

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has shown that he does not hesitate to pick up the phone to call a banker to say somebody needs some money. Will he indicate today that he will pick up the phone, call whoever administers that fund and tell them to get the dollars out to the farmers who are waiting for them today?

[Herb Gray, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has done more than that. He stood in his place in the House of Commons and talked about our desire to do the right thing for Canadian farmers.

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, desire is a wonderful thing but action is what is required here.

Is the Prime Minister aware that farm incomes on average over the last five years have decreased up to 65% for grain farmers and the money sits on the cabinet table when it should be on the kitchen tables of the farmers?

The Prime Minister said he would do something. Will he pick up the phone, talk to the administrator of the program and tell him to get the dollars out, yes or no? Will he also release his negotiators in the area of pulling down subsidies, which are far too high, and the user fees that the government continues to charge on the backs of farmers already faced with low prices? Will the Prime Minister do these things? Will he pick up the phone and get things moving?

[Larry McCormick, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we have listened to the concerns of the farm commodity groups. We realize that they are hurting because of the low commodity prices and because of subsidies around the world. Our minister met with farmers from at least six provinces yesterday. I know I did myself.

We have and we will recommend that we add additional funding for our farmers. We put a program in place that will provide $5 billion over the next three years. Yes, more is needed. However, we do believe in our family farms and we will be there for them in the future.

Foreign Affairs

[Chuck Strahl, Canadian Alliance, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is pretty clear that if the Department of Foreign Affairs had not intervened to stop the police from pressing charges against Mr. Knyazev for drunk driving, justice would have been done and Mr. Knyazev either would have been convicted or thrown out of the country long ago. Instead, his drunk driving charge was ignored the first time, covered up the second time, and it was not until the third incident, after he had killed a Canadian citizen, that action was taken.

Why did the minister allow diplomatic niceties to take precedence over the safety of Canadian citizens?

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as we have said over the last couple of days in the House, we are very concerned about the situation that developed last Saturday and the terrible tragedy that occurred.

At this point I do not think I have any information to indicate, as the member has suggested, that the Department of Foreign Affairs intervened to prevent charges being laid. That is not a practice that we condone or expect. Those decisions are taken by the police and the crown attorney. They chose not to press charges in that case.

However, I want to assure the member that we are investigating the situation and that we will do a thorough investigation to ensure this does not happen again.

[Chuck Strahl, Canadian Alliance, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we have a copy of the letter that was sent from the Department of Foreign Affairs to the Russian embassy which was written after the arrest by the police and suspension of this person's driver's licence for 90 days. The letter reads:

The Department finds the actions of the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police unacceptable and wishes to apologize for this incident. The issue has been raised with the police in a full and frank manner.

The Department wishes to inform the Embassy that Mr. Knyazev's driver's licence is attached and that all the charges have been withdrawn. The Embassy will be reimbursed for the incurred expense for the towing of the vehicle.

How can we possibly say that the Department of Foreign Affairs did not intervene when it sent a letter like that apologizing for—

[The Speaker]

The hon. the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[John Manley, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, the letter was sent in response to a diplomatic note from the Russians. We have taken the unusual step of making this exchange of notes available to the opposition and to the media so that they know what happened.

In fact the apology did reflect the fact that a diplomat was treated not in accordance with the Vienna Convention, but at the moment that is of less significance to me than the fact that we need to see justice done in the case that arose subsequently.

Parliamentary Reform

[Caroline St-Hilaire, Bloc, Longueuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the government House leader said he wanted to modernize parliamentary procedures and, in the same breath, “avoid having the opposition parties table hundreds, indeed thousands, of amendments to bills at report stage”.

Is the government House leader telling us that his reform consists in gagging the opposition once and for all so that it cannot properly do its work, which the public expects of it?