Debates of April 23rd, 2001

Income Tax Act

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Division No. 73

[The Deputy Speaker]

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-4, an act to establish a foundation to fund sustainable development technology, be read the third time and passed.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Division No. 77

[The Deputy Speaker]

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the third time and passed)

The House resumed from April 5 consideration of the motion.

Alcoholic Beverage Labelling

[The Deputy Speaker]

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on Motion No.155, under private members' business.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Division No. 74

[The Deputy Speaker]

I declare the motion carried.

Ways And Means

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

moved that a ways and means motion relating to tobacco products, laid upon the table on Thursday, April 5, be concurred in.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Pursuant to the order made earlier today, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on Ways and Means Motion No. 4.

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I think you would find consent in the House that those who voted on the previous motion be recorded as voting on the motion now before the House, with Liberal members voting yes with the exception of the member for Haldimand—Norfolk—Brant.

[John Reynolds, Canadian Alliance, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC]

Canadian Alliance members present vote yes to this motion.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-De- Beaupré—Île-D'Orléans, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc members will vote yes on the motion, except for the member for Berthier—Montcalm, who withdrew from the vote, and the member for Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the members of the New Democratic Party vote yes on this motion.

[Rick Borotsik, Progressive Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Members of the Conservative Party vote yes this motion.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Division No. 75

[The Deputy Speaker]

I declare the motion carried.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

moved that a ways and means motion respecting the long term management of nuclear fuel waste, laid upon the table on Thursday, April 5, be concurred in.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Pursuant to an order made earlier today the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on Ways and Means Motion No. 5.

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I think you would find consent again that the members who voted on the previous motion be recorded as voting on the motion now before the House, with Liberal members voting yes.

[John Reynolds, Canadian Alliance, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC]

Canadian Alliance members present vote yes.

[Michel Guimond, Bloc, Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-De- Beaupré—Île-D'Orléans, QC]

The Bloc members will vote yes on the motion, including the members for Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert and Berthier—Montcalm.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, members of the New Democratic Party vote no.

[Rick Borotsik, Progressive Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the members of the Progressive Conservative Party will be voting yes on the motion.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Division No. 76

[The Deputy Speaker]

I declare the motion carried.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

[Antoine Dubé, Bloc, Lévis-Et-Chutes-De-La-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on February 5 of this year, I asked the new Minister of Industry a question regarding shipbuilding. Without rereading the text of the question, which anyone may consult in Hansard , I asked him when he intended to develop a shipbuilding policy, as promised two days before the election was called.

Furthermore, given that my Bill C-213 on shipbuilding had been through all stages except one hour of debate, which was refused me in the very week before the election was called, I asked the minister if he intended to introduce a bill on shipbuilding.

Although he was sympathetic to the spirit of my bill, he hid, as it were, behind a committee he had created on October 20, two days before the election was called, to study the issue of shipbuilding.

On March 30, the National Shipbuilding and Industrial Marine Partnership Project released a report in Halifax. This report contained 30 or so recommendations having to do with some very important topics, such as financing and tax exemptions. To a certain degree, it improved on my bill with respect to such issues as training and all aspects of technological innovation.

Now that all this has been done and the report submitted, I would expect the minister's representative—the minister not being here today—to tell the House exactly when he will be following up on the committee's report.

It was two years ago, on April 15, that I tabled a bill along these lines and everyone knows the procedures. First of all, my name had to be drawn, and I got 100 MPs to sign so that the bill would be given priority. This bill made it through all stages, including second reading and clause-by-clause study in committee of the whole.

Six months have elapsed since the election and nothing more has been done for the shipbuilding industry. When he was asked to comment on the report, the Minister of Industry said “Since the committee that I set up took six months to table its report, you will understand that I will take some months to review it”.

Again, this is a committee that was set up by the minister himself. This means that committee members met him at various stages. Two years after I tabled my bill, we should expect to have more details as to when the government will table a shipbuilding policy.

Since the tabling of my bill, an additional 2,000 workers have been laid off and two major shipyards, those of Saint John and Marinestown, have shut down. The situation is even more urgent and critical than before.

Will the minister wait until every shipyard in Canada and in Quebec is closed before making a move?

Eight years after the promise made in 1993 to develop a shipbuilding policy, can the Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry tell us when the minister and the Liberal government will finally act?