Debates of Feb. 26th, 2001

Summit Of The Americas

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for several months now, the Government of Quebec has been asking for the Premier of Quebec to be allowed to address the heads of state at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City next April 20 to 22.

Will the Prime Minister tell us whether his government still intends to deny Quebec's premier the right to address the heads of government at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City?

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the host country for the Summit of the Americas and I think that it is wonderful that we are able to welcome 33 other countries.

I believe Mr. Bouchard mentioned this wish to the Prime Minister during the trip to China. But, right now, the rules of the game are being discussed with Mr. Lortie, who is the Prime Minister's personal representative, and the folks in Quebec City.

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister confirm to the House whether or not, during Team Canada's last visit to China, he or his chief of staff, Jean Pelletier, responded to Premier Bouchard's request by telling him that there was absolutely no question of the Premier of Quebec addressing the heads of state at any time during the Summit of the Americas?

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I will simply remind the House that it is Canada which is welcoming 33 other countries to the Summit of the Americas. The meeting will be attended by heads of state from the all the Americas. The rules of the game are that the Prime Minister of the host country, the Prime Minister of Canada, hosts the prime ministers of other countries, and that is how it works.

Immigration

[Diane Ablonczy, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the immigration minister told the House today that citizens from a number of European countries do not need visas to come in or out of Canada. I am a little puzzled about this since Mr. Amodeo was in Canada on a tourist visa and his wife was in Canada on a visitor's visa. Clearly they did have visas.

I would like the minister to explain that and also tell the House whether people can come in and out of our country without any monitoring, any checking or any kind of process at all. Are our borders wide open?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised that the member knows so little. That might account for the fact that her question is so uninformed. In fact, there are some countries in the world where visitors visas are required and where security checks are done before those visas are issued.

However it is commonly known that for Americans, western Europeans and many countries in the world there is no requirement for a visitor's visa before someone enters Canada. Similarly, we have no exit controls. The member should know that.

[Diane Ablonczy, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is nice of the minister to be so condescending, but of course the purpose of question period is to get this information out.

I have another question for the minister. Is Italy one of the European countries from which its citizens can come in and out of Canada at will? I would also like to ask the minister if there is no one from her department at the border running any kind of check at all on people coming in and out of our country?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, as I said in my first answer, and it is important for the member to know and to understand, most of western Europe, including France, Germany, Italy and most of the other western European countries, although I will not take the time to name them all, their citizens can enter Canada without a visitor's visa.

Immigration officers at the port of entry make their judgment when people presents themselves. They then stamp their passport and give them the right to enter Canada.

I have one more thing to say to the member. The inquiry that was made by all members of this House numbered 40,000—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Winnipeg South Centre.

Financial Management

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board.

In his recent report, the auditor general stated that the government has made significant progress in improving financial management in government. Could the President of the Treasury Board explain what other steps the government is taking to build on these achievements?

[Alex Shepherd, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, the President of the Treasury Board recently announced improved internal evaluation procedures throughout government. This will strengthen the fiduciary capacity of our government.

We know that Canadians work hard for their money. That is why the government is committed to making sure that expenditures within government are undertaken efficiently and wisely. These reports will be made available to the public, which will allow the public to judge and show that the government is transparent in the way that it spends money.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, with every day that passes there is serious evidence of mismanagement and chaos in the first nations and Inuit health branch in the Department of Health.

Recommendation after recommendation by the auditor general for proper accounting and good management practice by the federal government have been ignored. The result is the possibility of creating enormous damage on the ability of first nations and Inuit people to deliver health care services as they want to and need to.

My question is for the acting Minister of Health. Will he review the problems within the department and support an independent external investigation of this branch of government?

[Yvon Charbonneau, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as we know, health records administration for aboriginal people in remote areas is an extremely complex issue.

Some newspaper articles allude to deficits. I should point out that these were authorized deficits and that such deficits may be authorized for a number of reasons, both in this case and in other provinces.

When issues are raised, which the Health Canada official did, investigations are instigated and efforts are made to recover the money that may have been improperly spent.

Health

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the big city mayors caucus is meeting today to draw attention to pressing urban issues like transit and the lack of affordable housing.

I also know that Vancouver Mayor Phillip Owen is here to seek federal support for his excellent report on a four pillar approach to the terrible drug problems in Vancouver. The Vancouver agreement is an important first step but much more needs to be done.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health indicate if the government has the courage to go further by acting on Mayor Owen's recommendation, including the implementation of clinical trials for heroin assisted treatment?

[Yvon Charbonneau, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, let me assure the opposition member that the Department of Health is monitoring this situation very closely. It feels that, as a partner, it can help resolve these issues, in co-operation with provincial and local authorities in British Columbia.

Health Canada provides all the advice, services and insight required to enable local authorities to fulfil their responsibilities regarding this serious problem.

Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, a few hours after the United States lifted its ban on Brazilian beef imports, Canada decided to do the same.

Could the Minister of Agriculture tell the House if, at that time, he had received all the answers to the infamous questionnaire that triggered this quasi trade war between Brazil and Canada?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the team of technical officials had agreed on a response to the risk management assessment. That was agreed to by all three countries. The conditions that were announced were agreed to by all three countries.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a very simple question for the minister.

We are hearing all sorts of things about what triggered this trade dispute between Canada and Brazil. During the three weeks spent in Brazil, did anyone ask the Brazilians why they omitted or refused to complete the questionnaire that the Government of Canada needed? Is there an answer to that question?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, it became evident to everyone on January 30, in particular, that Brazil said it had brought 4,100 head of cattle in from countries in the European Union where there is now known to be BSE. During the risk assessment that number rose with the investigation to 6,000 head of cattle.

The conditions that were put on for the lifting of the ban clearly stated that none of the product from those cattle would come to Canada. One of our main concerns was to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, according to news reports there are at least 14 RCMP criminal investigations into recipients of ACOA funding. That is three more cases than last year. The original 11 were said to be worth almost $4 million in taxpayer money.

Could the minister update the House on how many ACOA fraud cases are now actively being investigated by the RCMP? How many taxpayer dollars do they represent?

[John Cannis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, let me point out that ACOA is not under investigation but the recipients. It is important to note that ACOA upon getting information referred these cases to the RCMP. That is the kind of work ACOA does.

Let me point out that 61,000 jobs were created in Atlantic Canada as a result of programs which the Alliance Party, as it said during the election, would have eliminated.

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the 14 fraud cases being investigated and a default rate by ACOA of 20% are simply not acceptable.

ACOA is not the only way the Liberal government wastes taxpayer money. It does that all over the country, not just at ACOA. According to the public accounts the three regional development agencies have written off over $300 million since 1995. Now the Liberals want to give ACOA another $300 million for the Atlantic innovation fund.

How could Canadians believe that ACOA would manage this fund any better than it has in the past?

[John Cannis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I overheard the member for Medicine Hat who said we should just eliminate it. Their complaints is a sign of their weakness, not their strength.

We will continue to support Atlantic provinces. We will create thousands of jobs there. Unemployment has gone down by 3%. These are good programs, but they do not want to talk about the 88% success rate. All they want to talk about is the 12% we are trying to straighten out.

National Film Board

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette-Et-La Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some fifteen young filmmakers in Montreal have prepared a work of protest entitled “the last heritage minutes”.

This short video is strongly critical of the NFB's lack of interest in supporting personal documentaries.

Does the minister agree that, by imposing cuts of 25% on the NFB, she herself presided over the decisions that have limited the NFB's ability to support personal documentaries?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I support the principle that, when decisions are made, they must be made at the National Film Board.

No politician must ever meddle in these decisions.