House of Commons Hansard #18 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was federal.
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the member should appreciate the fact that when we came to power, the premiums were supposed to be $3.30.
We cancelled the increase planned by the Tories and reduced the premiums for workers and employers. Workers now contribute $2.20. I presume this will continue to drop as the economy continues to perform well.
There are 2.5 million more people working in Canada since we implemented sound economic policies for the country. I hope the hon. member will one day acknowledge this.
Bill Casey Progressive Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS
Mr. Speaker, in the telemarketing scheme from Westmorland Institution in Dorchester, New Brunswick, inmates were trained by Corrections Canada to call residents in Idaho and Washington regarding condos in Fiji and free gambling junkets to Las Vegas. The inmates were instructed by Corrections Canada to say they represented a Washington company, but actually they were in a prison in New Brunswick.
Did Corrections Canada get prior assurance from the attorneys general of Idaho and Washington to ensure that this operation was not an offence under their state consumer protection laws? Did anyone ever stop and ask what the people of Washington and Idaho would think?
Wayne Easter LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well that the telemarketing scheme was suspended. There is a review taking place of that telemarketing scheme. If improvements need to be made in terms of the way the system was operated, I can assure him that improvements will be made.
Correctional Service CanadaOral Question Period
October 30th, 2002 / 2:50 p.m.
Progressive Conservative
Bill Casey Progressive Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS
Mr. Speaker, meanwhile there are hundreds of people in the United States who have been misled by people who were trained by Corrections Canada. We brought this up on October 10. On October 12 the senior vice-president, forensic, for KPMG was brought in to investigate the program. On October 15 it was shut down.
Is it true that, contrary to all of the rules and assurances by the minister, the KPMG report determined that inmates did have access to personal information about the citizens in Idaho and Washington who were called? Has the government notified the American government that their citizens may be at risk because of the security breach?
Wayne Easter LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I can say very little more other than the fact that the commissioner has shut the telemarketing system down. A review is taking place. I can assure the member that once the review is over, improvements will be made so that this does not happen again.
Bob Mills Canadian Alliance Red Deer, AB
Mr. Speaker, referring to the federal government's Kyoto plan, the Premier of B.C. said:
This is no way to build a country. We're not going to stand by while the federal plan, the favoured plan, blows away 11,000 British Columbia jobs.
Why is it the policy of the government to ignore the wishes of the provinces and kill jobs just so it can ram Kyoto down our throats?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons we have been consulting with the provinces is to ensure that we build a plan that is fair and puts no unreasonable burden on any part of the country or any sector.
We have been meeting with large emitters to ensure that their concerns are taken into consideration. It is in the interests of everyone to work together because Canadians across this country want to ensure that we play our role in dealing with climate change.
Bob Mills Canadian Alliance Red Deer, AB
Mr. Speaker, I saw that lack of consultation in person on Monday in Halifax. The Liberal Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is equally upset by the Prime Minister for ignoring the will of the provinces. He said:
What we're being told is: “It doesn't matter what you say, we're doing this anyway”.
The federal government is thumbing its nose at provincial and territorial leadership. Why is the Prime Minister so afraid to meet with the premiers before ratifying Kyoto? What is he afraid of?
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, in fact first ministers said to their ministers of energy and ministers of the environment to get together and work on this plan. That is exactly what they are doing.
Canadians do not want to see us fighting. They want us to come together. That is what the consultations are all about. We have a plan out there. The provincial and territorial ministers have put some statements forward. Our officials are getting together to see how they can ensure they incorporate the ideas of the provinces into a plan to ensure that Canada can play its role in dealing with climate change as Canadians want.
Louis Plamondon Bloc Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture.
By never getting beyond grand speeches and promises, the federal government is sentencing to death the only French language veterinary school in North America. The school is in danger of having its certification revoked by the American Association of Veterinary Medicine, unless the federal government comes up with funding.
Does the minister realize that, to practice their profession in Quebec and in Canada, veterinarians must graduate from a school certified by this association and that, consequently, if he does not act soon, the school is doomed?
École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-HyacintheOral Question Period
Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario
Liberal
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I have already said twice in the House today that I understand that and the government understands that. We have four excellent veterinary colleges in Canada. One of them is in Quebec and three others are in other parts of Canada.
We recognize the importance of animal safety and health, and human health and safety. As the federal government we will work with the provinces in every way we can to ensure that the colleges continue to have their accreditation.
Louis Plamondon Bloc Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC
Mr. Speaker, is not a matter of understanding and recognizing; it is a matter of coming up with and providing the money.
The minister does not realize that his veterinarians at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are bound to retire someday and that he will need to replace them. These new employees will have to come from a certified school like the one in Saint-Hyacinthe.
Now that Quebec has agreed to put in the required funding, when will he do his part to ensure this school stays open?
École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-HyacintheOral Question Period
Prince Edward—Hastings Ontario
Liberal
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I will not take up the time of the House to repeat the answer. For the fourth time, I have said very clearly that the government recognizes this and we will work with the provinces to ensure the continued accreditation of the colleges.
Scott Reid Canadian Alliance Lanark—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, it used to be that the federal government regarded the language of traffic tickets as the litmus test of linguistic duality. In a series of court cases it challenged the legality of unilingual parking tickets across Canada.
However, less than one kilometre away from where I stand today, the RCMP is issuing unilingual parking tickets on federal land in the Gatineau.
Why is a federal agency helping to actively promote the mandatory use of only one official language in part of the national capital region?
Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, we will immediately look into the problem raised by the hon. member.
Obviously, all the various agencies are required to abide by the official languages policy. We intend to come back to the House with an answer as soon as possible.
Scott Reid Canadian Alliance Lanark—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, what the RCMP is doing is not merely unfair, it is also against the law. Section 22 of the Official Languages Act states:
Every federal institution has the duty to ensure that any member of the public can communicate with and obtain available services from its head or central office in either official language, and has the same duty with respect to any of its other offices or facilities
(a) within the National Capital Region;
When will the Solicitor General order the RCMP to stop violating the Official Languages Act by issuing unilingual tickets? When will he order the RCMP to stop serving as the enforcer of bill 101?
Wayne Easter LiberalSolicitor General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. I will take it under advisement and find the proper information.
Mac Harb Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, last year the Government of Canada, in conjunction with its partners, was able to release the text of the negotiating agreement of the free trade area of the Americas.
I wish to ask the parliamentary secretary if he will inform the House whether or not the Government of Canada will continue to play a leadership role so we can ensure that further texts concerning the free trade area of the Americas will be released to Canadians as was the case last year?
Pat O'Brien LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, in April 2001, in Argentina, the hemispheric trade ministers made history when they endorsed Canada's proposal to release the draft text of the FTAA. Later this week the minister will be in Quito, Ecuador, and he will again be seeking consensus from his colleagues to have the release of the updated text.
The release of the negotiating text has been an important improvement in trade negotiations, including at the WTO. Canada's leadership in pushing for greater transparency will ensure greater buy-in by our citizens.
Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence and his parliamentary secretary confirmed in the House yesterday that no decision had been made regarding the closing of the Emergency Preparedness College in Arnprior.
If that is the case, why is it that local people were phoned by his department last week for an assembly later on today to make the announcement that the college is closing?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, there was a consultation meeting today to which the hon. member was invited. In our system it is ministers who decide and officials who implement. If the officials have sent out information to the contrary, then a bit like Panasonic, I guess they are slightly ahead of their time.
Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the minister has no idea of what is going on in his department. Leadership would be telling the Prime Minister that the Arnprior college must stay open.
How can the minister expect to have any credibility around the cabinet table to request more funds for the military when his bureaucrats decided to move the college and he was the last to know?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the hon. member is a little bit opaque. The point is that I--
John McCallum Liberal Markham, ON
Opaque, obtuse, something on that order. My point is that whatever the bureaucrats may say or may have said or not said, I am the one who makes the decision, and I have not yet decided. It is very simple.