House of Commons Hansard #56 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was drugs.
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, this week we commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic in which Canada played a vital role, both in terms of enlisted men and women and our merchant mariners.
To date our merchant navy veterans of all naval campaigns have waited a long time for their full payments, a package that the government committed itself to in previous programs. Could the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell the House when these aging veterans will receive their second payment?
Ronald J. Duhamel LiberalMinister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification) (Francophonie)
Mr. Speaker, with the full support of all my colleagues, including the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, I was able to announce in Winnipeg last Friday the final payment of $34.5 million to merchant mariners.
This payment is in recognition of the tremendous sacrifices they have made and of the contributions they made to the war efforts of Canada and Canada's allies. They will receive the money that is due to them, those who quality, I expect by the end of the month of May.
Philip Mayfield Canadian Alliance Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC
Mr. Speaker, the bishops of the Anglican church have now appealed directly to the Prime Minister for answers to the Indian residential school debacle. For example, St. Peter's Anglican church in my hometown of Williams Lake, British Columbia, where my best childhood friend was baptized in 1938, while not directly involved in residential schools is now wrapping up its affairs in bankruptcy proceedings.
Will the Prime Minister step forward with the leadership to settle these lawsuits and allow victims and the churches to get on with their lives? As a former Indian affairs minister the Prime Minister is well qualified. Will he do this?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, some 7,000 former students at Indian residential schools have brought some 4,000 lawsuits against both the federal government and, in about 70% of the cases, against various church organizations.
This is a very difficult, very complex matter. We are working with the church organizations involved to develop a resolution of this matter which will be fair to the victims, to the churches and to Canadians without undue recourse to the litigation process.
I think we are making progress. We will continue to work in good faith on this serious matter.
Philip Mayfield Canadian Alliance Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC
Mr. Speaker, that non-answer will not do. The conversations have gone as far as they can. The churches are appealing for direction and assistance.
The federal government for a hundred years fostered a policy of assimilation justifying residential schools. The government may think it has the luxury of time, but those who were abused in the residential schools still await justice. Litigation is rapidly draining the resources of the churches. Will the Prime Minister please move now to resolve this issue?
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend makes a point in saying that this is a very complex matter. We are working to resolve the issue. We want to do so in a way that is fair to the churches in recognizing their role as valid social institutions. Above all, we have to be fair to the victims and reflect the interests of Canadians generally. That is what we are doing.
We are trying to advance the process and take it out of the litigation system. This is very difficult and complex. We are continuing our efforts. I look forward to my hon. friend using a more constructive tone in the way he did originally. That is the way to help, not to unduly politicize the matter.
Robert Lanctôt Bloc Châteauguay, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Secretary of State for Amateur Sport is boasting about working for sport at the grassroots.
The government of Quebec and the city of Montreal indicated how much money they will contribute to relocate the Tazmahal, a skateboard and roller blade centre.
If, as he claims, the secretary of state truly cares about promoting access to sports to the largest possible number of people, could he tell us what he is waiting for to announce the federal government's contribution to this project?
Denis Coderre LiberalSecretary of State (Amateur Sport)
Mr. Speaker, I have no intention of negotiating here. We have been working on this issue for a few months, unlike the Quebec government which has been at it for three years.
We wanted to propose an infrastructure program in which the provincial, municipal and federal governments could have been involved, but the Quebec government said no.
We are looking at the issue and I am working with my colleagues, so that we can soon come up with an answer.
Walt Lastewka Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister of agriculture. The plum pox virus is a serious disease that infects stone fruit species including peaches, nectarines, plums and apricots. It has been a scourge on the Niagara area over the last year.
The plum pox virus has adversely affected the livelihoods of both producers and the nurseries in the region. Could the minister inform the House about what steps are being taken by Agriculture Canada to assist the Niagara region in overcoming the plum pox virus?
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is taking extensive action to manage and to try to eradicate this disease. There are eradication programs in the smaller areas in Ontario and Nova Scotia. They are having consultations with the industry in the Niagara area.
As well, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food is consulting with the industry, the producers and the province of Ontario as far as compensation for those affected by it. We are stepping up and intensifying the research in order to find out how this disease acts in Canada as well.
Philip Mayfield Canadian Alliance Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the complexity of this situation. I also appreciate that conversations are now stalled and that there needs to be a push for these to go on.
There are abused victims who are waiting with little hope. There are churches going broke while the government is stalled in this regard.
I must ask the government once again when leadership will be shown to settle these lawsuits once and for all and let those who are afflicted get on with their lives.
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend is mistaken. The discussions are not stalled. They are proceeding.
I want to say that we are working in a way that will allow the victims who can prove their claims to get on with their lives. For this we need the co-operation of the church organizations involved to reach an agreement with us on the degree of shared liability in this very complex matter.
I look forward to the hon. member playing a constructive role in this regard instead of trying to politicize it. This is not the way to reach a fair resolution to the matter.
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Mr. Speaker, in 1997 the federal government announced that it would no longer provide its annual contribution of $7.2 million to Tokamak, in Varennes, which was then the main nuclear fusion research centre in Canada.
We are now learning that the government is part of a consortium that is trying to attract to Ontario the $12 billion ITER project, a megaproject for international research in the same sector.
How does the Minister of Natural Resources explain that his government forced the closure of Tokamak in Varennes by claiming that nuclear fusion was no longer one of its priorities, when it is now injecting billions of public funds in that same sector, but this time in Ontario?
Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Speaker, an organization called Iter Canada, which is largely involving the private sector, including I would point out a number of private sector firms from the province of Quebec, is promoting the notion of an Iter location in Canada at some future date.
The Government of Canada has not contributed millions of dollars. One million dollars is what the Government of Canada has contributed over a three year period to support the activities with respect to siting.
I would point out with respect to Tokamak that upon the withdrawal we provided full compensation, as required under that program.
Stéphane Bergeron Bloc Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Mr. Speaker, it has become customary in recent days to want to comply with an express request of the Deputy Prime Minister that proof be tabled establishing a link between the Auberge Grand-Mère and the Grand-Mère Golf Club, in the form of a 10 year lease.
Once again, I seek unanimous consent to table this document.
Derek Lee LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to table, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments recently made by the government.
Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 110(1) these are deemed referred to the appropriate standing committees, a list of which is attached.
Derek Lee LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to two petitions.
David Pratt Liberal Nepean—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 36 I have the honour to present to the House a petition signed by constituents in my riding of Nepean—Carleton and the surrounding Ottawa area.
They call upon the federal government to enact an immediate moratorium on the cosmetic use of chemical pesticides.
Colleen Beaumier Liberal Brampton West—Mississauga, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition calling on the Parliament of Canada to uphold the Latimer decision in the Supreme Court of Canada.
Murray Calder Liberal Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition calling for the release of census records to genealogists and historians. The petition is signed by more 2,200 Canadians from seven provinces.
The petitioners point out that an estimated 7.5 million Canadians are engaged in the pursuit of their family histories and census records are a valuable tool.
They call upon parliament to take whatever steps are necessary to retroactively amend confidentiality clauses of the Statistics Act since 1906 to allow the release of the post-1901 census records after a reasonable period of time.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition regarding the free trade area of the Americas.
The petitioners call upon the government to address their concerns about the impact of the FTAA on the environment, on children and on all people of the Americas.
Those who signed the petition call upon the Canadian government to publish the full texts of the free trade area of the Americas.
Derek Lee LiberalParliamentary Secretary to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.