Debates of May 17th, 2001

The Economy

[Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, earlier today the minister defended his decision not to table a budget by saying that he took the advice of a select, elite group of economists that told him not to bother.

Why does the minister respect the views of elite economists and lobbyists more than the views of elected members of parliament?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, in the October statement we provided over $24 billion of stimulus to the Canadian economy. That statement also previewed the largest debt paydown. At the same time it made massive investments in health care and a wide range of social issues.

That is what it did. It is important to allow the effects of that to wend their way through the economy and that is what will happen.

Finally, the Canadian people in the November election voted and supported that budget and that statement.

Justice

[Vic Toews, Canadian Alliance, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last week during committee testimony the commissioner of the RCMP confirmed that the federal CPIC system was unable to perform the function of a national sex offender registry. Legislation and funding are required.

Will the solicitor general today commit to introduce legislation as a first step to create that effective national sex offender registry?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we have said many times in the House that we have a very good system, one of the best computerized database systems in the world.

We are working with the provinces and territories to improve the system in any way that needs to be done. If the provinces wish to provide addresses, they will be put in place on the CPIC system.

[Vic Toews, Canadian Alliance, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the commissioner disagrees with him and yesterday the Minister of Justice had the courage to admit that the existing CPIC registry did not effectively protect Canadians from sexual predators.

On behalf of the potential victims of sexual predators, will the solicitor general join today with the Minister of Justice to take every necessary step to create an effective sex offender registry?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure my hon. colleague would not want to misinterpret what the Minister of Justice said. She did not say that we needed new legislation. She did say that we would work with the provinces and territories to improve the system in any way possible.

Official Languages

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the use of the criterion of language spoken at home defended by the minister would have negative consequences not only for francophones in Quebec, but for the Acadians and francophones in Canada.

Does the minister not understand that to apply these criteria on language spoken at home elsewhere in Canada would be devastating for the francophone and Acadian communities, as they would considerably reduce their numbers and, accordingly, the services available to them?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the member mentions the other provinces, because the Commissioner of Official Languages intervenes in the other provinces as well. Why could she not intervene in Quebec? That is the sole question today.

[Pauline Picard, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the minister not see that, by defending the criterion of language spoken at home, he is opening the door to certain provinces that could use it to justify significant cuts in services to francophones on the grounds that they speak English at home?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the member's very question is before the courts. The Government of Canada is an observer.

The Government of Canada is intervening in the Montfort case, because it is in appeal. However, it is before the courts at the moment. The Commissioner of Official Languages has arguments to present. The Government of Quebec has arguments to present. It will be up to the judge to decide, not the member or myself.

Justice

[Randy White, Canadian Alliance, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, virtually every police force in the country disagrees with the government and is saying that legislation is required to enable a sex offender registry to be developed.

In Ontario Christopher's law is the enabling legislation that provides and mandates registering changes to develop a sex offender registry.

Would the solicitor general acknowledge that a sex offender registry cannot be just developed by software and that it needs enabling legislation to mandate the changes?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, what we must have across the country is support from the provinces too.

As I have indicated, we have put $115 million in place to make sure we have the best database computer system in the world, which is the envy of all police forces around the world. We have also indicated that we will accept addresses from provinces if they wish to have them put in place.

[Randy White, Canadian Alliance, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that guy sounds like a software salesman, not a solicitor general. What is required in legislation is a mandate that sex offenders report changes in names, addresses and phone numbers. Also it must be mandated that sex offenders will be penalized if they do not report them.

Would the software salesman mind standing in the House and telling us that legislation is required to implement a sex offender registry?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I would not refer to my hon. colleague in the way he has referred to me, but I will tell him that changing one's name is under provincial jurisdiction. It is the same with addresses. It is under provincial authority.

Official Languages

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while the minister wants to come across as the champion of official languages, a damning report from the Treasury Board paints a grim picture of his government's performance in this area.

How does the minister explain the cuts in excess of $100 million, over a 10 year period, in the budgets of the official languages programs, thus bringing these budgets back to the 1977-78 level, more than 25 years ago?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the government has started investing again in official languages programs. An annual amount of $70 million was added in the 1999 budget.

The Commissioner of Official Languages has indeed criticized the government sharply. It is her role to do so. She is not easy on us and it would appear that she is not easy on Mr. Landry either.

[Benoît Sauvageau, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we hope that some day we will get an answer.

In addition to reporting cuts in excess of $100 million in the programs' budgets and a smaller percentage of francophone deputy ministers, this study shows that the number of employees in official languages has dropped by 50% over a five year period.

Does the minister not think that he should look after his own affairs and change what his government is doing wrong before giving lessons to others?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that the Government of Canada must set an example in the area of official languages, and we will definitely improve our programs.

This being said, everything that goes on in Canada is my concern and everything that goes on in Quebec is also my concern.

Immigration

[Inky Mark, Canadian Alliance, Dauphin—Swan River, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of immigration has said that the Sklarzyk family are queue jumpers, but the fact is that the family has been ordered deported due to a technical error. Meanwhile a suspected assassin, Rudy Pacificador, has been allowed to stay in the country for 14 years and still has not been deported.

Where are the fairness and compassion in her system when it allows a suspected assassin to be treated better than a family who has behaved in an exemplary fashion?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is often and in fact I would say always difficult to tell people that they have to leave Canada. It is never easy to do that, but I will say to the member opposite that last year 8,600 people were removed from Canada.

The number one priority for removal is criminals. The other priorities are those who are failed refugee claimants and those who have overstayed visitors visas.

I can assure the member that I have reviewed the file, that I have seen no administrative error, and that it is difficult to tell people that it is time to leave.

[Inky Mark, Canadian Alliance, Dauphin—Swan River, MB]

Mr. Speaker, how about the 15,000 that cannot be found in the country? The immigration department has decided to deport the Sklarzyk family as a result of an administrative error, but the minister has claimed she cannot deport an assassin due to administrative problems. Where is the logic and compassion?

Will the minister try to defend her system, which would allow a family who has behaved in an exemplary fashion to be deported but cannot remove an accused murderer after 14 years?

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

Mr. Speaker, when we are dealing with people's lives, grandstanding in the House of Commons is completely inappropriate.

This member and others come to me with individual cases, and on this one that member never came to me, never asked for the facts, has stood in the House and is hurting people. I would say that this is completely inappropriate.

In Canada we have due process. Before people are removed they are entitled to due process. I can assure him that no one is removed if there is an administrative error. The priorities for removal are clear: criminals, failed refugee claimants and those who have overstayed visitors visas. He never once took the time—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Hamilton Mountain.

Health

[Beth Phinney, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. Hepatitis exerts a huge burden on those who suffer from the disease and on their families. Could the minister tell the House what Health Canada is doing to raise awareness of hepatitis?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada has designated the month of May as Hepatitis Awareness Month in Canada. I thank colleagues in the House for encouraging that step to be taken.

Just last week Health Canada organized and financed a national conference on hepatitis C to have researchers come together, share information and enlarge both public understanding and scientific discoveries in hepatitis treatment.

We are focusing on supporting those in the community who work in this area and on assisting scientists across the country developing new methods of treatment and hopefully one day a cure.