Debates of May 30th, 2001

National Defence

[Monte Solberg, Canadian Alliance, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that the Canadian navy is already participating in a group that is designed to make missile defence effective. I do not know if the Prime Minister has a clue on what he is talking about.

A U.S. admiral who is involved in this says that the U.K. currently does not have a policy decision on missile defence. That is why it is not involved in the forum.

We are involved in the forum. Does that mean that Canada has made a decision on missile defence? If so, why the charade? Why is he pretending?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have not made up our mind. We want to know what the policy will be. We want to know what the Americans want to do.

I am not a person who does not want to know the facts. I want to know the facts. After that I will come back to cabinet and to the House of Commons, and a decision will be made. I will not pretend that I am not doing my job because I want to know all the facts.

Young Offenders

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has just let us know what his vision of Quebec is.

It does not matter what judges, the police, lawyers, social workers, youth centres, the Liberal Party of Quebec, and the whole national assembly think about the young offenders issue. Ottawa knows how things should be done in Quebec.

Does the Prime Minister realize that his vision of Quebec has not kept pace with the times? It will not fly. Ignoring a social consensus such as the one Quebec has reached on this issue is behaviour unbefitting a Prime Minister.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member, who voted against distinct society in the national assembly and in the Parliament of Canada, has risen in his place to say that we do not understand Quebec.

Quebecers want to stay in Canada and Quebecers know very well that the criminal code is the responsibility of the Canadian government. They know very well that we are always there to do our job.

I am certain that the bill passed yesterday by the House of Commons will fully meet the needs of Quebecers and of all Canadians.

[Michel Gauthier, Bloc, Roberval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when this party voted against the Prime Minister's resolution, it was because it was not worth the paper it was written on.

By refusing to accept a consensus, which was unanimous in Quebec, has the Prime Minister not just shown us that it is true that his distinct society resolution was not worth the paper on which it was written? Once again, he has deceived us.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order, please. We are wasting time.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, when we tell them that they voted against distinct society, the Bloc Quebecois does not like it.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Saint-Maurice, QC]

I would also point out to the member that we too are speaking with Quebecers. They know that we have laws in Canada which are fair for everyone. They also know that this legislation will be very good, in Quebec as well as in the rest of Canada. Quebecers also know that the Bloc Quebecois did not win the majority of the votes in the last election.

Minister Of Finance

[Jason Kenney, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance, who is a Quebec member of parliament, attended a partisan meeting of the Ontario wing of the Liberal Party, with two assistants.

We learned that the cost of this trip done for partisan purposes was paid by the Department of Finance, and therefore by Canadian taxpayers.

Since the Minister of Finance is the one who manages public funds, will he do the honourable thing and pay back his department for his own partisan expenses?

[Paul Martin, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the best thing to do is to go over my schedule.

I got there late on a Friday evening, and attended a few functions. On Saturday morning, after breakfast, I had a meeting with the president of a very important manufacturing company from the Hamilton region; later, I met a number of citizens who had particular issues.

Afterwards, I met with a local farmers' association, tobacco producers who were experiencing problems. Finally, I attended a meeting on major policies, before heading back to Montreal.

[Jason Kenney, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Southeast, AB]

That is a good one, Mr. Speaker. We all know what the finance minister was doing in Hamilton: schmoozing with future Liberal delegates.

What is the Prime Minister doing to get under control not just the finance minister but his leadership rivals who are criss-crossing the country at departmental taxpayer expense for partisan activities? Will he put an end to this practice and ask the finance minister to pay for his leadership campaign out of his leadership funds?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance gave a very good explanation.

However last year that member of parliament spent all the points he had to campaign across the country against the leader of the day.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Rimouski-Neigette-et-la Mitis.

International Trade

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette-Et-La Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister for International Trade said, with regard to cheese sticks, that it was not his intention to make a habit or a rule to exceed the quotas that were agreed on.

Why then is the minister trying to conclude a reciprocity agreement with the United States when it would be so easy to comply with the quotas that have already been negotiated?

[Pat O'Brien, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, there has been absolutely no change in government policy on the issue of cheese sticks for the last 20 years.

We are now in active negotiations and discussions. The minister has raised this matter with trade representative Zoellick. We will see further development on it, but there is absolutely no change. This is not some sudden new problem.

[Suzanne Tremblay, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette-Et-La Mitis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we can only let things go so far.

Canada is letting in cheese sticks imports beyond the agreed quota of 5%. We are now at 7%, yet the government calls that no change.

Why is the government adversely affecting the Canadian industry when our producers can meet domestic demand?

[Pat O'Brien, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, let me try again. Maybe, if the member's blood pressure would calm down, she could listen to exactly what I did say. There has been no change in government policy on this matter for the last 20 years. No change.

Justice

[Bob Mills, Canadian Alliance, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last Sunday Lisa Dillman and two young girls aged five and six became psychological victims of the justice system of Canada. I was there as these two little girls cried and clung to their mother's leg as they entered the Bowden penitentiary to visit their pedophile father. An RCMP officer in the prison was in tears.

How can the government brag about human rights and about protecting children? Will the minister change the law now and call it Lisa's law so that no children anywhere in Canada will be forced to visit sexual predators in jail ever again?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we all share the member's concern for Mrs. Dillman and her two children.

What I find very disturbing is that the official opposition would suggest that any minister, but in particular the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, would interfere with an order of the court.

In fact Mr. Justice Foster in his judgment on Friday suggested that Mrs. Dillman should return to the courts of Saskatchewan where there is jurisdiction over this matter and ask for a variation of the custody and access order.

[Bob Mills, Canadian Alliance, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is too late to change the law for these two little girls. They have already suffered a psychological impact. I am talking about future cases.

This is a single mother of four receiving no child support. She has received $50 since 1998 from Schneeberger. The legal bills are almost impossible for this lady.

Schneeberger is serving a federal sentence in a federal prison and the Divorce Act is a federal issue. It is the Minister of Justice's responsibility to make sure this never ever happens again. All of us know that these girls are being psychologically impacted.

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member refers to the Divorce Act. If one looks at the Divorce Act it is very clear that in making custody and access orders the court shall take into consideration only the best interests of the children.

I would suggest yet again that in this case Mrs. Dillman return to the courts in Saskatchewan, as Mr. Justice Foster suggested, and seek a variation of the access order.

Library Of Parliament

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year the Library of Parliament issued a request for proposals for electronic news monitoring. A local firm referred the request for proposals to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal which agreed to review the matter. The case has not yet been heard, and certainly not ruled upon, yet the library insists on a June 1 deadline for filing proposals.

Since this is a rather important service for members of parliament, would the spokesperson for the Board of Internal Economy tell the House if the board has been seized of this issue and if not, will it be before June 1?