Debates of Sept. 27th, 2001

Employment Insurance

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what we are asking is that the government follow up on the report we tabled in May, for which we still have not received a reply here in the House.

Again, will the minister take steps to make employment insurance more accessible, in order to help the thousands of people who just lost their jobs?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, we have made changes to the employment insurance program. The program is sound. Our priority now is to make sure that those employees who are eligible have access to the benefits they need. That is why we remain available to meet with employers, as we did with Air Canada. That is why we remain available to meet with employees and union representatives who want to talk to us about these programs.

We are there to support these Canadians when they need help.

Airline Safety

[James Moore, Canadian Alliance, Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, just as President Bush did today in Chicago, the government could strengthen consumer confidence in airlines by dramatically improving safety.

President Bush is announcing the placement of air marshals on domestic routes, something this government is not willing to do. He has announced reinforced cockpit doors on American planes, something this government has not done. He has announced the retraining of airport security, something this government is not doing.

Why do Canadians have a lower safety and security standard than the United States?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is highly inaccurate. Transport Canada works with the FAA on all security matters and in discussing the responses to September 11, we agreed on certain measures.

The measures put in place by Canada are quite in accordance with what is being done in the United States. In fact, the U.S. is making adjustments to Canadian practice in the same way that we make adjustments to U.S. practice. There is a seamless security regime in place.

On the question of air marshals, I have already answered that. We believe security begins on the ground. The Canadian way of not having armed personnel on commercial aircraft.

[James Moore, Canadian Alliance, Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, after the September 11 attack, the transport minister did not respond quickly, he drafted a memo.

The united steelworkers union, which represents more than 600 security workers at Canadian airports, says that its members have simply been told by Transport Canada to be more diligent when it comes to scrutinizing passengers and baggage. No retraining has taken place. No new training for new technology has been scheduled. The temporary ban on knives has not been made permanent.

When will the transport minister issue new national standards for airport security and show leadership to those who are trying to make our skies safer?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, we already did that before the planes went back into the skies. The issue here is to have consistency of standards and enforcement across the country. As I said yesterday in the House, we are beefing up our enforcement by security personnel to ensure that compliance is fully practised across the country.

I do not think the opposition should come in here every day and try to scare the Canadian travelling public when we all have an obligation to tell people to get back into the skies and fly as normal.

Customs and Excise

[Roger Gallaway, Liberal, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, members know that foreign ships in the St. Lawrence seaway are bound daily for Canadian ports.

Could the Minister of National Revenue tell the House what system is in place to determine who is on board these ships when they enter and who is on board when they leave?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his very important question.

Prior to the arrival of any vessel at any Canadian port, the ship's master is required to send a list of crew members 24 hours before it arrives in Canada. Customs officers go through the list using our databank. Before the vessel leaves its last Canadian port, the ship's master is required to give to Canada Customs any modifications to that list with regard to crew members.

Airline Safety

[Bev Desjarlais, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are legitimately concerned about airport security in our country. This is hurting the airline business and it is adding to the economic recession.

My question is for the Minister of Transport. Will the government help restore Canadians' confidence in air safety by taking direct control of airport security operations or will it be content to continue having it contracted out to the lowest bidder?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I have already answered this question. The focus right now should be on the new enhanced standards we put in place and making sure that those are enforced. Who does the actual screening at airports is a matter that we can debate another day.

What the travelling public wants to know is that the new standards are in place and being properly enforced, and that is what is happening across the country.

[Yvon Godin, NDP, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Mr. Speaker, today we are discussing safety problems in airports.

In 1993, Doug Young began privatizing airports.

According to the most recent report of the Commissioner of Official Languages, after a period of ten years private airports will no longer be required to provide services in the minority official language.

Is the Minister of Transport prepared to amend the airport legislation to fulfill his government's commitment, as stated in the throne speech, and more importantly to ensure the safety of Canadians?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, it is my intention to introduce in the House of Commons a new bill on airports and on the national airport network across the country.

I accept the advice of the hon. member and I am prepared to discuss this issue with my officials.

Airline Industry

[Val Meredith, Canadian Alliance, South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there is widespread support to compensate Canada's airlines for their direct losses stemming from the September 11 terrorist attacks. However, Air Canada is also seeking government assistance to offset its anticipated decline in passenger revenue which would allow it to proceed with the creation of a new discount carrier.

Will the minister assure the employees, the shareholders and the loyal passengers of WestJet Airlines that their tax dollars will not be used to allow Air Canada to create a government subsidized low cost carrier?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in discussing this matter, we have always talked about potential compensation of the airlines for losses sustained as a result of September 11 and perhaps some other measures to ensure they get back to business normally.

We want to make sure that the competition that was developing before September 11 with WestJet, Canada 3000 and other carriers in the country with a rebalancing of the market share, continues and is enhanced.

I believe any financial assistance must take note of that particular policy of the government.

Citizenship and Immigration

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration insisted that she needed Bill C-11 to secure the Canadian system from abuse. On September 24, the minister contradicted herself in stating that we have the tools to detain where we feel there is a security risk. She knows that part 3, section 19 of the current act has the tools to detain anyone suspected of terrorism. The minister has admitted that she does not need Bill C-11 to act.

When will the minister address the real problem and demand sufficient funds and resources to enforce the existing law?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, regrettably, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is unable to be in the House today. I will take the hon. member's representations and bring them to her attention.

National Defence

[Leon Benoit, Canadian Alliance, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, for years we have been calling for the government to make a serious commitment to Canada's armed forces.

The CDA says today that this government must invest an additional billion dollars a year into Canada's forces just to stop the bleeding and much more to rebuild the forces.

The military is Canada's single largest security force and yet it is not a priority for the government. The CDA says that the government is not meeting its commitments regarding our national defence. The minister says we are. Who is wrong?

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

Mr. Speaker, through the 1999-2000 federal budgets and supplementary funding, the government has reinvested more than $3 billion in defence over a period of four years. The CDA report also commends the government for the increased funding and the additional money that is being spent on the military.

We feel we are doing an excellent job and that our Canadian military is doing an excellent job. We will continue to meet all the commitments of the white paper.

[Leon Benoit, Canadian Alliance, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the member still is not listening. Here are the facts. General MacKenzie, General Dallaire, the RCMI and a long list of military experts say that Canada simply is not meeting its commitment to our national defence. Today the CDA has backed this up in the strongest possible way.

Who is wrong, all these experts or the government?

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

Mr. Speaker, naturally the government welcomes the report of the CDA.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, Oh!

[The Speaker]

Order please. I am sure we all want to hear the answer of the parliamentary secretary.

[John O'Reilly, Liberal, Haliburton—Victoria—Brock, ON]

I am glad to see the members are awake. For a party that is measured by the defence index, what can we expect?

The facts are the same. We have acquired 12 modern frigates and 11 steam-driven destroyers are being replaced. We have 4 Victoria class submarines, 650 new armoured personnel carriers and 15 new Cormorant helicopters. The government is acting.

The Canada Jobs Fund

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on June 22, 2000, the Department of Human Resources Development abolished the Canada jobs fund. Application was accordingly made to treasury board to have the money transferred to the four economic development agencies, including the one for Quebec, which is headed by the Minister of National Revenue. Unfortunately, over 15 months after this announcement, criteria have yet to be established for Quebec's regions.

My question for the Minister of National Revenue is very simple. How does he explain this unacceptable delay when thousands of dollars essential to the creation of jobs have been lying in the coffers for the past 15 months?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada Economic Development has been, is and will be a major and fundamental player in economic development in Quebec.

In recent months, as will be the case in the coming months, a number of projects have been analyzed, and we have intervened and will intervene in all regions with projects that create jobs and that are visionary.

As to the money transferred from Human Resources Development, we are talking several million dollars that will be transferred in the next four years and that we will manage within our programs, which we will make more flexible, rather than create a whole slew of new dead end programs.

Our purpose is to help business by keeping the focus on the SMBs in all regions.