House of Commons Hansard #67 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was offenders.
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I have had a few occasions to discuss this problem with the premier of Alberta. He has even praised my position in the press. I have a letter from him in which he says:
Mr. Chrétien, Alberta appreciates the work of you and your government in promoting Canada's energy industry—and notably Alberta's—abroad.
I think I am in agreement with the premier. It is the member who does not read the proper documents.
Brian Pallister Canadian Alliance Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, not since the national energy program have Liberals understood provincial jurisdiction over energy resources in the country. Provinces clearly have exclusive constitutional jurisdiction over their natural resources.
The North American Free Trade Agreement allows Albertans to sell their energy resources without bowing to the Prime Minister of the country. Will the Prime Minister promise Albertans and all Canadians that he will respect the rights of provinces under the constitution and under NAFTA to market their own energy resources?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we always respect the constitution. We have power and obligations in international trade. We have an obligation to make sure that security of supply is protected for all Canadians.
Jean Augustine Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canadians were shocked to learn last week that an edict issued by the Taliban in Afghanistan would force religious minorities in that country to wear special identification on their clothing.
Could the Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific tell us what the reaction of the Government of Canada is to this edict that religious minorities must wear identification?
Rey D. Pagtakhan LiberalSecretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore for her question. Indeed Canada condemns this unconscionable Taliban policy that requires religious minorities to wear special identification labels.
We believe that this edict violates the fundamental principle of freedom from discrimination. Hence Canadian officials in Islamabad have brought Canada's concern to Taliban diplomats situated in Pakistan and to senior officials in the Pakistan foreign ministry who have regular contact with Taliban authorities in Afghanistan.
Lorne Nystrom NDP Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. Last year Canada's leading CEOs received a raise of some 43%, putting their median pay package at $3.7 million. Meanwhile Revenue Canada has said now that 41 major corporations with annual revenues of more than $250 million paid no corporate income tax at all between 1995 and 1998.
How could the minister justify giving his rich friends and the big corporations they direct tax breaks that amount to nothing less than corporate welfare for the rich? How could he justify that in today's modern society?
Paul Martin LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that numbers such as the ones he has just cited have always existed. There is a running number because it really depends upon how much investment individual corporations made over what period of time. Oftentimes the reason that taxes are not being paid is that they have made very large investments for the future.
The fact is that corporate income taxes are the fastest growing section of our income tax take.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, northeastern New Brunswick is experiencing a fisheries crisis that gets worse with every season.
Lobster catches are smaller and smaller, crab quotas are cut every year and plant workers are laid off after three weeks work. This crisis is aggravating the gap effect, to which thousands of families fall victim every year.
How does the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans plan to resolve this situation and provide some relief to these people, who are being increasingly affected by a crisis that is getting worse with every passing year?
Lawrence O'Brien LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the issue raised by the hon. member is one that has to be resolved primarily between crab fishers and fish plant workers.
When the licences of an enterprise are sold, it is the responsibility of the enterprise owner to deal with the crew members.
André Bachand Progressive Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and deals with the situation in Shannon, Quebec, where the drinking water supply has been contaminated by federal government actions.
The Minister of National Defence has announced a program that will not solve the problem. Federal responsibility is clear, and the contamination continues.
When is the Minister of Health going to require his government to assume its responsibility and announce a proper long term solution to the serious problem from which the people of Shannon are suffering?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, we are working on a solution to this matter with the mayor and the townspeople of Shannon. I met with them very recently.
We have invested over $2 million to get to the bottom of this matter so that we can make sure the water, both for the people who are on our base at Valcartier and in the nearby communities, will be safe. We are working toward a solution now.
André Bachand Progressive Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, we have a drinking water problem, and the government is dragging its feet on this.
Some weeks ago, the House passed a motion calling for national standards. Yesterday, the Canadian Federation of Municipalities called upon the government to take action.
When is the Minister of Health going to act? What progress has been made in the consultations with the provinces? What is the government waiting for before it acts?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, at this time we are working in conjunction with our provincial partners in developing drinking water guidelines.
A few days ago in this House. we passed a resolution to work more closely with the provinces and even to enact federal legislation if that is an objective shared by the various governments of Canada.
Howard Hilstrom Canadian Alliance Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are telling dairy farmers one thing and doing the opposite behind their backs.
The trade minister continues to give supplemental import licences that allow more milk products into Canada than agreed upon during the trade negotiations. This is a deliberate effort by the government to undermine the integrity of Canada's supply management system.
Will the minister commit to ending this practice and guarantee that future milk imports will not exceed the agreed upon quota?
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, no, our government of course respects its international trade obligations. It respects the quotas it has agreed to.
It might happen from time to time that a consumer locally needs a particular product and some exceptions are made around it. Obviously it is not our intention to make a habit or a rule to go beyond the quotas we have actually agreed upon.
Howard Hilstrom Canadian Alliance Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Mr. Speaker, the minister cannot blame it on the consumer. He and his department are giving the permits to do it.
It is typical Liberal action to say one thing in public and do the opposite in private, to blame the consumer and to blame the farmer. How about taking action and living up to our trade agreement which says that we should only import as much as what we agreed to? Otherwise we are hurting our dairy farmers on farms across the country.
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to hear the Canadian Alliance Party supporting supply side economy and our politics on dairy products. It is good news for all Canadian farmers.
As a matter of fact I think the House is now unanimously behind the supply side economy in agriculture that we want to have. We will continue to promote it to the rest of our dairy workers. We will protect their rights in international trade negotiations. We will continue to do that job in every international trade negotiation we embark upon.
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC
Mr. Speaker, when the bill to create health research institutes in Canada was being considered, the federal government indicated that no provincial health institution would be funded directly, without the approval of the provinces.
How does the minister reconcile this commitment with his announcement of May 23 that four health facilities in Quebec, namely a CLSC, two regional boards and a hospital, would receive $10.8 million for telehealth projects, when Quebec was never consulted?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, Quebec was consulted by the Government of Canada.
In fact the Quebec department of health and social services wrote me a few months ago to express its support for these projects. They requested our funding and we gave them a favourable response.
Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Quebec minister of health has stated that his government was not consulted.
I ask the Minister of Health to promise right now to put an end to the unacceptable practice of providing funding over the head of the government of Quebec for medical research projects in Quebec facilities such as CLSCs, the regional boards and hospitals.
Health Research InstitutesOral Question Period
Etobicoke Centre Ontario
Liberal
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member must communicate more often with the mother house. I am very happy to have here today and to table in the House the letter, dated July 28 of last year, in which the Quebec department of health sought funding for these projects.
We are very happy to invest this money to serve Quebecers as well as people throughout Canada.
Philip Mayfield Canadian Alliance Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Ivy Tauber of Lac La Hache, B.C., an English war bride, landed in Canada on May 21, 1946. On October 18, 1951, she was issued a Canadian passport by Canadian external affairs. Last year, after applying for a new passport, Tauber was advised that her first Canadian passport was no longer proof of Canadian citizenship and that she had to apply again to become a Canadian citizen.
Could the minister explain why this is so? Incidentally, I wrote to the minister last August but have had no response.
Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, if the member had given me notice of his question I would have had an answer for him today. I am not familiar with the case. I will be pleased to look into it.
Philip Mayfield Canadian Alliance Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC
Mr. Speaker, after working, contributing to our community, raising her family, paying taxes and voting for 55 years, I am appalled that Ivy Tauber can summarily be disenfranchised. She was a Canadian citizen and has proof of that.
Why and when was that citizenship revoked? Who has the authority to summarily revoke it? Will the minister reinstate Tauber's citizenship? Would it help if Tauber had voted Liberal?