Debates of May 30th, 2001

Library Of Parliament

[Marlene Catterall, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, normally the Board of Internal Economy would not deal with matters relating to the Library of Parliament. However, since this does deal with services to members and is related to the information technology services of the House of Commons, I would be pleased to raise it with the board when it meets later this afternoon.

I would also suggest that the member raise it with the chair of the Library of Parliament committee and have the Library of Parliament committee meet to deal with it as well.

Energy Industry

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Right Hon. Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will remember that Liberal governments were concerned about the level of foreign ownership in the energy industry.

I want to ask the Prime Minister, given the purchase of Gulf by American interests, whether this is any cause for concern on the part of the Prime Minister. Given the energy policies of George Bush, I wonder if he could indicate what level of foreign ownership the government would find unacceptable given the attention that Americans are now paying to Canadian resources.

[Brian Tobin, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that both the investment act and the Competition Act apply here. An independent and arm's length assessment will be done with respect to the delivery of both those acts.

With respect to the level of foreign ownership, the fact is that it is far less today than it was 20 years ago.

Health

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the devastating impact of mercury on children has been well known for years. That is why the list of health experts who are appalled by the government's failure to protect Canadians from mercury in fish is growing daily. One leading international expert on environmental health has called the need for precaution in this area an absolute no-brainer.

Will the health minister now mobilize the brains of Health Canada to take measures to keep mercury contaminated fish off the grocery shelves of Canadians?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Health Canada has had for some time guidelines for mercury levels in fish that are among the most prudent in the world. In fact we are at half of the American permissible levels. That has been in place for years.

In addition we have consumer advisories for those fish that are rarely consumed, such as swordfish, shark and uncanned tuna. Those advisories draw to the attention of people who should take care that they ought to eat very little. That is a wise use of our resources to protect the health of Canadians.

National Defence

[Bill Casey, Progressive Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, less than two weeks ago the Minister of National Defence told the House that a private company had been hired to bring home our military equipment from Eritrea.

At the time the minister stated that the company, Lewis and Clark, was the only company that had the kind of expertise needed. If this company had that expertise, could the minister explain why the tender was cancelled last Monday morning and then reissued on Tuesday afternoon? What were the technical reasons for the cancellation?

[John O'Reilly, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I would be more than happy to take the member's question under advisement and get back to him at a very early time.

Justice

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice. Given the complexity and the mixture of subjects contained in omnibus Bill C-15 currently stalled on the order paper, the sections respecting child pornography and sexual exploitation of children clearly should have formed the subject matter of a separate bill. Protection of Canada's children should be paramount. Why is this subject not a priority for the government?

Will the Minister of Justice simply remove the controversial cruelty to animal provisions and the firearms provisions to allow the bill speedy passage through the House before the summer recess?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member and other colleagues for their representations in that regard.

There were negotiations yesterday and others as late as a few minutes ago. I will endeavour to continue these negotiations and perhaps we can find a satisfactory resolution before the end of the day.

Nuclear Industry

[James Rajotte, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the proposed Canadian neutron facility at Chalk River is an essential part of Canada's scientific infrastructure for the 21st century, yet the government continues to delay its approval month after month.

Will the minister responsible assure the House that a positive decision will be made on the project before the end of June?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, I am not in the position to project timeframes with respect to a decision.

The hon. gentleman is right in identifying the importance of this big science project. He has also raised on other occasions the severe challenge that all governments face in dealing with the complexity of big science decisions.

The government is proceeding to consider all the relevant options and will make its decision as quickly as it can based upon sound science, due diligence and fiscal responsibility.

[James Rajotte, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian neutron facility is required to give the country an advance materials testing capability, safer materials, better foods and medicines, and better science essential to the knowledge economy.

The Minister of Finance has spoken often about the knowledge economy and the innovation that is needed. This project needs a champion at the cabinet table and the Minister of Finance can be that champion. Will the finance minister champion this facility when it is considered by cabinet next week?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman's knowledge of cabinet agendas is obviously a bit faulty.

In respect of the project, as the member will know from the government's red book three platform and also from the Speech from the Throne, it is our intention over the next 10 years to more than double Canadian investment in research and development to make sure that the country stays on the cutting edge of knowledge, research and innovation, not just in Canada but in the world. We will make the appropriate decisions to make that investment, which is critically important to the nation.

Shipbuilding

[Antoine Dubé, Bloc, Lévis-Et-Chutes-De-La-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a group from the Quebec City region comprising, among others, the comité de sauvegarde des chantiers Davie de Lévis and the comité de développement économique regional Québec-Capitale, have appealed to the federal government to help the last two shipyards still open.

Why is the Minister of Industry not acting on the report entitled “Breaking Through”, which proposed effective and innovative policies instead of subsidies to support the shipbuilding industry?

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

Mr. Speaker, throughout the Quebec City area, the Economic Development Agency of Canada has intervened with a vast economic development program to help it develop technologically.

On the issue of shipyards, one of the first acts of the Minister of Industry was to appoint a committee of experts in the field so certain recommendations could be formulated.

The recommendations have been tabled, and my colleague in industry will act on them in the best economic interests of not only the Quebec area, but of Canada as a whole.

[Antoine Dubé, Bloc, Lévis-Et-Chutes-De-La-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's first act was to speak. He has yet to decide and he has yet to act.

In the meantime, more and more of Canada's shipyards are closing. There are only 100 workers currently at the Davie yards.

Why is the government not doing something for shipbuilding?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member is trying to run down a very serious job done by the people from the industry.

These people tabled a report with recommendations. My colleague is currently studying it. I simply want to say that the government is already putting incentives in place for shipbuilding. We will make our position on the report known very soon.

Trade

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister declared that Canada would fight fire with fire over Brazil's aerospace industry. However, only last week the minister responsible for wheat told grain farmers in western Canada they had to stop growing wheat because that subsidy war was unwinnable. Of course the Minister of Industry claims he does not believe in subsidies because they are not productive for the economy.

When will the Prime Minister develop a plan to end the dispute with Brazil that does not rely on using illegal subsidies?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I tried to give an explanation yesterday that, yes, we want to terminate that, but we have to make sure that Brazil respects the international rules. Bombardier wants to respect them.

I would like to say, for example, that these complaints are coming but yet their deputy House leader, the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, was quick to praise a federal loan to Haley Industries, a subcontractor of Bombardier, located in her riding. I quote her:

I am pleased that the government of Canada has made this contribution to local employment...This repayable research and development investment will enable the company to—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Peace River.

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I really wonder where the consistency is in the government's policy. It seems that corporate welfare programs are only available to Bombardier's customers.

What about other Canadian industries facing unfair subsidies? What about agriculture? What about shipbuilding? What about the steel industry? What about the jobs in those sectors that do not get subsidized credit?

Could the Prime Minister tell us how he decides which jobs are the most equal and therefore the best able to qualify?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member is talking about being consistent, he should talk to his seatmate. She is the one who was praising the government for helping somebody who was producing goods for Bombardier to sell in competition with the Brazilians.

When I look around I think they have to work on consistency a bit. Do you not agree there in the back?

[The Speaker]

I know the Prime Minister intended to address those remarks through the Chair.

The Environment

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It concerns Canada's ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is a 1993 red book promise.

Given the importance of this convention and given that two former ministers of foreign affairs expressed in recent years their firm intent to ratify, when could Canadians expect the ratification of the law of the sea to take place?

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada intends to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The only question remaining at this time is when the ratification will take place.

Canada is going to ratify this convention on the law of the sea within the far broader context of the Canadian policy on offshore fishing. What we need is an effective regime that can be applied internationally on the high seas in order to protect the fish populations that straddle the 200 mile limit.

That is what we want and that is what we are going to get.