House of Commons Hansard #57 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was federal.

Topics

Government LoansOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh.

Government LoansOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

The Speaker

I can only help the parliamentary secretary so far.

Natural ResourcesOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Bob Wood Liberal Nipissing, ON

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians are celebrating National Forest Week, I have a question for the Minister of Natural Resources.

As hon. members know, a great many Canadians rely on our forests for their well-being. With the increased demand on our forest land, will Canadians be able to count on our forests to contribute so much to our way of life in the future?

Natural ResourcesOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right to draw attention to National Forest Week.

Nearly half of Canada's land mass is covered by forests. We are home to 10% of all the world's forests. The sector employs more than 750,000 Canadians in more than 350 communities and contributes nearly $20 billion to Canada's GDP, plus immense social, cultural and environmental value.

All Canadians must be dedicated to sustainable forest management, as is the government. To get the full story, people can consult the Government of Canada online at www.nrcan.gc.ca.

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of National Defence.

The minister knows that this week George Bush's officials are in Canada lobbying for the national missile defence, the new star wars, and that last year his officials stated in a briefing paper that while NMD does not require Canadian involvement, intercepts would occur over Canadian territory.

U.S. defence analysts have said that Canada might want to request extra funding for hard hats, but that there is not much else that can be done. The debris will not fall on Toronto, we hope, but who knows?

I want to ask the minister when the government will finally stand up to the United States and say no to this insane escalation—

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. Minister of National Defence.

National DefenceOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

York Centre Ontario

Liberal

Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, the United States is concerned, as we all should be concerned, about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Whether or not this is an appropriate response is one that will be determined over the next few months in terms of consultation that is now being undertaken.

Canada will be part of that consultation, as will many other countries. We want to know the specifics of what the United States has in mind. It has a broad range of options. It is important that we know what its intentions are so that we will be in a position to then make a rational decision on the matter.

HealthOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, for four years I have been pressing the government to pay attention to the drug health crisis in Vancouver's downtown east side. Thousands of lives have been needlessly lost and public safety is at risk.

The Minister of Health expresses sympathy but people are still dying. Now even the head of the RCMP drug enforcement program is calling on the government to look at safe injection sites as part of a comprehensive strategy.

Will the Minister of Health finally save lives by taking action on this matter and supporting safe injection sites?

HealthOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, we have been working with Mayor Owen who has shown real leadership in Vancouver with his report on the options available to deal with this tragic issue.

We have met with the mayor and have examined his proposals. I know he is consulting on them now. We have put money into the community to develop a resource centre. We will continue to work with local authorities to find the best solution possible.

InfrastructureOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Rick Borotsik Progressive Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB

Mr. Speaker, we all know that rural Canada has been under siege in the last number of years.

The Canada infrastructure program that was announced last year does have a component for rural communities to improve their water treatment plants but the demands far exceed the amount of dollars there.

Will the minister responsible for rural Canada commit today that funding will be put into place which will allow rural communities to have the same dependable safe water as urban communities?

InfrastructureOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Parry Sound—Muskoka Ontario

Liberal

Andy Mitchell LiberalSecretary of State (Rural Development)(Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario)

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right. The Canada provincial infrastructure program this time does include a component for rural Canada so that the infrastructure in rural Canada can be upgraded, as well as the infrastructure in the rest of the country.

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Joe Clark Progressive Conservative Calgary Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the Prime Minister is troubled by the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe, including the intimidation of Canada's high commissioner and the director of CARE.

The foreign minister told parliament last week that a response to Zimbabwe by Canada might wait until the next Commonwealth heads of government meeting some months away.

Bearing in mind the leadership that Canada showed in fighting apartheid, would the Prime Minister not agree at least to call home the Canadian high commissioner to Zimbabwe for consultations and consider other urgent action now?

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we will look into this possibility. If it is a useful thing to do, we will do it.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Reed Elley Canadian Alliance Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC

Mr. Speaker, having met over the weekend in Manitoba with former employees of the Sagkeeng Reserve Virginia Fontaine treatment centre, I am appalled over the lack of accountability of the facility by Health Canada officials and the inability to treat the substance abuse of patients.

Now we have learned that Health Canada officials are refusing to turn over vital documents to the RCMP in order to complete the pending forensic audit.

The Minister of Indian Affairs and North Development can talk all he wants about accountability, but how can Canadians believe the government when they see this kind of thing happening?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, there are three things. First, this is the minister who shut down funding to that centre when we could not be satisfied the money was being used properly.

Second, we undertook a forensic audit. That will continue and will be completed.

Third, we have given every document to the RCMP that it needs to do its investigation and we hope it now gets it done.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Reed Elley Canadian Alliance Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC

Mr. Speaker, I invite the Minister of Health and the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development to sit down with some of these former employees and they will hear the real story.

While many past employees of the Virginia Fontaine treatment centre wanted to treat substance abusers, the truth is that there was a lack of trained staff and helpful programs in place to do anything about the problem.

The past employees with whom I spoke on the weekend compared it to a babysitting service. Why did Health Canada officials fail to recognize these problems long ago and take action to make sure those who needed the help really received it?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Etobicoke Centre Ontario

Liberal

Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, we were satisfied that the services being provided were of the quality that is appropriate for centres of that kind.

Let me add another thing for the hon. member. We have centres across the country. For example, some of them are now treating some of the children from the Innu communities of Davis Inlet and Sheshatshiu which are making a real contribution to the safety, the health and the lives of those kids. Health Canada is proud of the work we are doing in that regard.

Statistics CanadaOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Bloc Laval Centre, QC

Mr. Speaker, the census is one of the tools used by the government to enforce the Official Languages Act and identify the needs of communities throughout Canada.

Will the Prime Minister admit that it is very worrying to see the minister responsible for the application of the Official Languages Act endorsing the manipulation of scientific data concerning the ethnic and cultural origin of citizens who complete the census?

Statistics CanadaOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, Statistics Canada is an organization which has built up an excellent reputation over the years and which conducts the census in the best interest of all Canadians. The nature of questions must take into account all the laws of parliament, including the law on the right to privacy.

Under the circumstances, I think that Statistics Canada is doing its best, and we believe that the statistics will, in any event, tell us the percentage of francophones in Canada.

Statistics CanadaOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Bloc Laval Centre, QC

Mr. Speaker, the manipulation of such sensitive figures will mean that thousands of people, particularly Acadians and francophones, may no longer appear in the official data.

Does the Prime Minister realize that this manipulation is one more thing that will distort the real figures on the rate of assimilation of francophones, thus opening the door in the medium term to a decrease in bilingual government services?

Statistics CanadaOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, everyone is entirely free to indicate their mother tongue in this questionnaire. All francophones and others may indicate their mother tongue. Some may refuse to do so and that is apparently their decision.

However Statistics Canada is taking the necessary steps to ensure that we have the best statistics possible in the circumstances.

TransportOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Jay Hill Canadian Alliance Prince George—Peace River, BC

Mr. Speaker, last week Canadian travellers saw their choice in airlines reduced yet again when Air Canada announced that it intended to acquire a substantial share of Roots Air. This is clearly an attempt by Air Canada to enter the discount airline market by the back door.

Discount carriers like WestJet and Canada 3000 could now face competition from two Air Canada airlines. Given the dominant position of Air Canada and this latest blow to the freedom of choice, what action is the minister prepared to take now to ensure fair competition?

TransportOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that the air restructuring process has gone remarkably well because there is competition. There is choice on all major city fares in Canada and prices have come down.

The problem with Roots Air is indeed distressing to all of us that want competition. The commissioner of the competition bureau has said that he will treat this as a full merger and will look into it.

As Minister of Transport empowered under the act that was passed last year, Transport Canada has the ability to look into the public interest. We are very concerned about this development.

TransportOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Jay Hill Canadian Alliance Prince George—Peace River, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am certainly glad that the minister is concerned. Last week's demise of Roots Air proves that small carriers cannot compete with Air Canada on major routes.

This morning the standing committee on transport heard testimony from the competition bureau that Air Canada did not currently face effective competition on a national basis and that the provisions of the Competition Act would not be sufficient to create a competitive domestic market.

Is the minister now prepared to create real competition by allowing limited entry of foreign airlines into the Canadian market?

TransportOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, this is consistent with their right wing friends for cabotage.

However let me say this. The United States government, the United States carriers and the United States air unions are not interested in serving point to point within Canada. There is some limited interest on the part of Virgin Atlantic to do that.

Once we allow any of those foreign carriers in, we know what they will do. They will run on the main trunk routes where the money is to be made: Toronto to Vancouver and Toronto to Calgary. Who will suffer? It will be WestJet. It will be Canada 3000 and it will be Air Canada.