House of Commons Hansard #66 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-7.
Bernard Bigras Bloc Rosemont—Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the document goes on to say “Although we are all equally responsible, the main thing is to clean up our land and show our good will to the municipality of Shannon. The message that has to be put across is not guilt, but partnership”.
Is the minister going to acknowledge that this document is evidence of his department's concern for its image far more than any concern for protecting public health?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
No, Mr. Speaker. We are concerned about people's public health. We are concerned about doing the responsible thing. I have had a meeting with the mayor. I have put a proposal to the mayor and to the council that would involve us in helping them out in this situation. We will continue to work very closely with them.
Peter Goldring Canadian Alliance Edmonton Centre-East, AB
Mr. Speaker, during the war in Kosovo, Canada's air force very quickly ran out of precision guided munitions for our CF-18s. Modern missions require modern precision guided munitions but the government failed to provide the necessary capability to the air force. This represents a shocking level of unpreparedness.
What is the minister doing to address this issue? Why is our munitions' inventory at such an abysmally low level?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, that is an absolute wrong characterization. The right characterization is the fact that we played a very key role in terms of that air campaign in Yugoslavia.
We were one of the top allies of NATO in providing the kind of forces and equipment that was necessary. Even the United States, which had more forces and equipment than Canada, had difficulty with its number of munitions, as did all countries that were involved. The campaign went on for a considerable period of time.
What is important is what the head general told us. He said that Canadians were first teamers and that we were doing an excellent job.
Peter Goldring Canadian Alliance Edmonton Centre-East, AB
Mr. Speaker, imagine if Canadians were aware that only 5% of our CF-18s had the necessary targeting systems to fly in operational missions with our allies. In Kosovo we had to borrow from the Americans to equip 12 CF-18s with precision guided targeting equipment. This level of readiness is deplorable and disgraceful for a G-8 country.
Is our armed forces' state of readiness based on what we can beg and borrow from the Americans? Will the planned CF-18 upgrade equip all our fighters with precision guided targeting systems?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I am getting tired of this member running down the fine dedicated men and women of our Canadian forces. They were well equipped in that air campaign and they will continue to be well equipped. In fact, we are spending some $872 million in a contract to upgrade our CF-18s. They will be amongst the finest that can be provided, if necessary.
Claude Duplain Liberal Portneuf, QC
Mr. Speaker, May 25 was National Missing Children's Day.
Could the Minister of National Revenue comment on the role of the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency in the fight against the major problem of child abductions worldwide?
Martin Cauchon LiberalMinister of National Revenue and Secretary of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
As we know, Canada customs fulfills an important mandate. Customs officers take part in a variety of programs, including the International Project Return. Three thousand five hundred customs officials take part in this program annually. There are partners as well.
I would like to explain to the House that, over the past ten years, 982 children were found through this program, which is now a symbol of excellence. I thank all customs officers and all of the partners.
David Anderson Canadian Alliance Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Speaker, farmers can compete and succeed if given a chance. The minister in charge of wheat has said that grain farmers are lurching from crisis to crisis. However this year the Canadian Wheat Board has told farmers that it will only allow them to sell 60% of their durum crop.
How can producers in the middle of the worst farm crisis in decades survive on 60% of their income? Will the minister make the necessary changes to allow farmers to market the rest of their crop, the same crop that the wheat board refuses to sell for them?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, during the course of the crop year, the Canadian Wheat Board obviously makes arrangements to bring into the marketing system the maximum amount of grain possible at the maximum available price. It is doing so in this case.
In some years there are carry overs from one marketing season to the next. I have every confidence that the Canadian Wheat Board will do everything possible in the context of world market conditions to make sure Canadian farmers can sell their grain at the highest possible price.
David Anderson Canadian Alliance Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Wheat Board is refusing or unable to sell producers' wheat. Farmers can either sell it for feed, store it or sell it to the wheat board and buy it back themselves at a higher price.
Instead of telling farmers to quit growing wheat, when will the minister allow farmers the freedom to market their own grain and free them from the ridiculous scenario of having to buy their own wheat back at higher prices in order to market and process it?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, independent surveys among our foreign customers have indicated that with respect to timeliness, reliability, consistency, contract execution and before and after market services, the Canadian Wheat Board ranks ahead of the United States, the Europeans, Australia and Argentina. It in fact ranks number one in the world.
Christiane Gagnon Bloc Québec, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to Major Robert Porter, the situation at the military facilities at Valcartier is disquieting.
In an electronic message of January 14, he stated that under the environmental policy of the Department of National Defence, Canadian forces must comply with the law. He added that they were currently outside the law.
Could the Minister of National Defence tell us how much he intends to spend to help build the water supply system Quebec is preparing to build to resolve the problem of the 80 contaminated wells?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier, we are working with local residents, local municipalities and responsible officials in the province of Quebec to make sure clean-ups are conducted and that we do abide totally by the law in providing the cleanest possible water from an uncontaminated source for the people in the area, including our own troops.
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Mr. Speaker, the House had a debate a couple of weeks ago on the issue of drug abuse and addiction. The problem of drug use in our prisons poses particular challenges. We also know that 70% of the offenders going into our federal prisons have alcohol or drug addictions. In fact, 50% of them are intoxicated when they commit their crimes.
With these kinds of numbers, can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Solicitor General tell the House what the government is doing to deal with this issue?
Lynn Myers LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Solicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that Correctional Service Canada is fighting this on a number of fronts, such as through prevention, intercession, education and treatment. It is very important.
I am pleased to announce that two weeks ago the solicitor general opened a new addiction research facility. It is a worldclass facility for which all Canadians can be proud. It underscores the government's commitment to ensure that we do the right thing in this all important area. Unlike those people, that is the strength of this government.
Myron Thompson Canadian Alliance Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, western Canadian livestock producers are facing a real major drought this spring. In fact, water supplies have dried up as fast as the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act's budget for more wells and more surface dugouts.
Is the minister prepared today to commit more money to the PFRA for essential emergency water?
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, we are constantly looking at the budgets of the agencies in the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
As members know, agriculture is a shared jurisdiction. We have a large safety net program in place. The provinces are looking at individual circumstances in each province. We will continue to work to assist producers as much as we can.
Michel Gauthier Bloc Roberval, QC
Mr. Speaker, all of us here are experienced parliamentarians and we know that the legislator never includes anything in a bill for no reason. Conversely, when it does not include something in a bill, it is because it does not want to.
What are we to think of a government that says through its Prime Minister that Quebec will continue to apply the Young Offenders Act, but whose Minister of Justice systematically refuses to put it in the bill? Who is telling the truth? The Minister of Justice and the legislator, or the Prime Minister?
Chuck Strahl Canadian Alliance Fraser Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, on Sunday a mother was forced to take her five year old and six year old daughters to visit their father, a convicted sex offender, at an Alberta jail. The children were so traumatized by the event that a social worker had to intervene to suspend the court ordered visit. Unfortunately, unless the justice minister now intervenes, we are going to see this travesty repeated month after month for years to come.
What specific steps is the justice minister prepared to take immediately to ensure that young, innocent children are not forced to go behind bars to visit a convicted sex offender?
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I think everybody in the House has been disturbed by what we have seen in relation to Mrs. Dillman and her two children. However, I hope the hon. member understands that it would be inappropriate for me or any member of the government to interfere with an order of the court.
Mr. Justice Foster's decision on Friday in relation to this question indicated that there were appropriate avenues of appeal available to Mrs. Dillman. Mr. Justice Foster went on to indicate that Mrs. Dillman had unfortunately signed an undertaking that any appeals in relation to custody and access would be heard in Saskatchewan.
Presence In GalleryOral Question Period
The Speaker
I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Tom Lush, Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs and Government House Leader of Newfoundland and Labrador.
John Cannis LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, just for the sake of clarification on a question the member for Richmond asked during question period. The RCMP was requested to do an investigation. It looked into the matter and concluded that no investigation was necessary. I just wanted to state that for the record.
