Debates of April 3rd, 2001

Free Trade Area Of The Americas

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I think I understand the opposition is asking me about trade in services.

As regards trade in services in the free trade area of the Americas, we have not yet developed even a framework for these negotiations. We will be looking at it next week in Buenos Aires.

I can assure the member, however, that we will do so in close co-operation with the provinces we have consulted and that, in the area of services, any commitment made and whatever route we take will be totally in keeping with the mandate and the position we announced in the negotiations of the GATT agreement on services.

[Francine Lalonde, Bloc, Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is a serious matter.

An internationally renowned intellectual, who cannot be called an extremist, has just said that Quebec risks losing control over its services and water. People have had enough of this sort of mystery.

Since the minister is still refusing to reveal the texts of the negotiations, could he at least in the meantime table in the House the list of all the items on the agenda for the FTAA negotiations so we may know whether water is included?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would draw to the member's attention the fact that, in 1993, just before we signed the agreement with the Americans definitively, we delayed signing the agreement with the Americans and the Mexicans, because we demanded of both countries that water be excluded from NAFTA. That was done in 1993, and it establishes very clearly the government's position on water in international negotiations.

Lumber Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, five years ago we knew the softwood lumber agreement would come to an end on March 31, 2001. The Canadian Alliance has been alerting the government to this and asking for months and months and months if there was a plan in place. On April 1 we found out that the April fool's joke was on hundreds of thousands of Canadians.

We are about to be hit with billions of dollars of countervail duties like a logging truck, and we find out the Prime Minister has not insisted that his government have a plan in place. Why not?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, when I met with the president of the United States some week ago I discussed that. I discussed oil and gas. Most of the subjects raised with the president of the United States were related to trade. I made it very clear to him that we in Canada not only want to sell our oil and gas to the United States, but we also want to sell wood.

We had a discussion with them, and we knew that it was coming. It is amazing to see the Leader of the Opposition suddenly wake up to some of the real problems of Canada.

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

Mr. Speaker, that shows what kind of impact he has with the president of the United States. A logging truck full of countervail duties is smacking us right on the forehead and he has done nothing about it.

We do not need special permission from the United States to appoint an envoy designated to handle this problem for us. Who is the envoy?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are in negotiations at this time with the American administration. In order to have an envoy, we must hope the other party will have one too. Our envoy has to meet with somebody who will have the responsibility of being their envoy. The Leader of the Opposition should understand that in order to have a dialogue there needs to be another person involved in the same dialogue.

We are hoping to have an agreement very soon. The Canadian person is already known but we cannot make it public until we know what the Americans want to do with this problem.

Road Infrastructure

[Guy St-Julien, Liberal, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

McWatters Mining Inc. filed a request with the governments of Canada and of Quebec to have the highway 117 section of the Trans-Canada Highway moved in order to give the Sigma-Lamaque mine access to the gold reserves along this highway by May 1, 2001.

Could the minister tell us today whether he is still engaged in positive discussions with the government of Quebec with a view to the work beginning in the month of May? Did the PQ MNA not want the highway moved last year in 1999 and in 2000?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)]

Mr. Speaker, at last, a serious question affecting all regions.

First, I congratulate my colleague on the excellent work he is doing for all the resource regions, especially in his riding.

Obviously, we at Canada Economic Development are concerned about the situation in his riding and throughout the Abitibi region. We are currently working with the Department of Natural Resources on finding other ways of improving our assistance, because we have developed a special $8.5 million initiative.

As for the highway of interest to the McWatters mine, the infrastructure Canada program is analysing the situation—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands.

Lumber Industry

[Gary Lunn, Canadian Alliance, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, let us look at a few facts in the softwood lumber dispute. Legal fees over the last 20 years have reached $100 million, and we are back where we started. Over one million Canadians are affected by the dispute. There are tens of thousands of jobs at stake.

David Emerson, CEO of Canfor, Duncan Davies of Interfor, Jake Ker of Lignum and many more have all said that if they end up with a 20% countervail they will have to close mills. Yesterday the minister suggested they would be better off in the long run.

Could the minister tell us how working Canadians will be better off when they do not have a job to go to?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I find it absolutely appalling to hear the opposition today asking where the government was on the softwood lumber issue on April 1. We are exactly where the opposition and the government wanted us to be in reflecting what we hear from coast to coast in our country, that is having softwood lumber governed by NAFTA.

NAFTA will now rule our softwood lumber trade. Of course it means that the Americans might make wild allegations and wild accusations but we will fight them. I will continue to work with Mr. Emerson and Mr. Davies.

[Gary Lunn, Canadian Alliance, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, let me tell the House what is appalling. The government has had a year and a half to prepare. It is not even talking with the Americans. It has yet to ask for one meeting with our Canadian industry. It has not called them together.

Yesterday the minister said that he could not appoint an envoy because he did not know the mandate. If he does not know what is the mandate, how could he expect our industry to have an ounce of confidence in the government to solve the problem when it is facing billions and billions and billions of dollars in countervail and our workers will be going home with no paycheques? What is the government doing?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I spoke with the responsible people from the British Columbia Lumber Council today at lunchtime. I can say that they are a lot more confident in the leadership that the government is providing than what the opposition is reflecting right now. The British Columbia Lumber Council is standing by what we are doing. I get this from the council members, because I talked with them today at lunchtime.

I just told the opposition leader that I talked to Don Evans last night, so the opposition should not say we do not talk to the Americans. I will be meeting with Bob Zoellick on Friday in Buenos Aires. We are talking and we will stand by the Canadian industry.

Uranium

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Pentagon, British biologist Roger Coghill has calculated that 500,000 depleted uranium shells used in the Balkans have released enough radiation to cause over 10,000 deaths.

As for Dr. Asaph Durakovic, a nuclear medicine specialist who has examined 16 gulf war veterans, he reports that uranium 236 is still present in their bodies nine years after the conflict.

How can the Minister of National Defence remain so passive on the depleted uranium issue, when specialists confirm that people who have been in contact with the residues of this dangerous metal are at risk of illness—

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of National Defence.

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we are not relaxed about any of our troops who are experiencing ill health. All the studies that have been conducted on this matter have not made a connection between elevated levels of uranium and these health problems.

Certainly every effort is being made to continue to examine the health care needs of our troops. We are engaged with NATO in a study on this matter as well, but so far the scientific evidence does not create a link.

Housing

[Tony Tirabassi, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the absence of questions from the leaders of the opposition parties on topics of interest and importance to the majority of Canadians, I put forward the issue of affordable financing for housing to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation recently announced a new mortgage funding vehicle called Canada mortgage bonds. Will these bonds improve the affordability of housing?

[Alfonso Gagliano, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, finally we have a very good question. I am pleased to announce that Canada mortgage bonds will help ensure that Canadians have access to affordable mortgage financing.

These bonds will allow for more investment in Canadian residential mortgages and will provide mortgage markets with a new and competitive source of funds which will have lower mortgage financing costs for Canadians. Let me add that CMHC mortgage insurance has helped one in three Canadians with financing to acquire homes.

Presence In Gallery

[The Speaker]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of Ms. Sari Bermudez, President of the National Council of Culture and the Arts of Mexico and Mexican representative on the International Network on Cultural Policy.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear.

Points Of Order

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

Mr. Speaker, in the initial response today from the government during the government House leader's speech in reply to our supply day motion and again during question period, two members of parliament completely misrepresented a situation concerning the member for South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, saying that she had lost a lawsuit and that somehow there was a problem because of that.

Both of those people should know that she has never lost a lawsuit. She has never gone to court nor settled a lawsuit in court. Both members should withdraw the allegation immediately.

[The Speaker]

I do not know which hon. members the House leader is referring to, except that—

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

The industry minister and the government House leader.

[The Speaker]

This sounds to me like a matter of debate rather than a point of order. Disagreements about facts in speeches are commonplace in the House. All of us have seen this from time to time. Indeed, there are constant allegations throughout our question periods that statements made by hon. members on both sides seem to be incorrect. Sometimes the word false is used.

I know hon. members sometimes feel that the facts are misrepresented. That is just a matter of debate. I am sorry but I do not think it is a case where the Chair ought to intervene.

Does the hon. member for South Surrey—White Rock—Langley have something to add on this point?