Debates of Oct. 8th, 2002

Softwood Lumber

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the details are quite clear. They are being announced this afternoon. There is $71 million to help workers themselves, $110 million for communities affected, $40 million against the mountain pine beetle which has been such a scourge for the industry, and additional money for research and development.

As to loan guarantees, we have not ruled out the possibility. We will continue to look at the situation and respond as required. For the moment, this package will make a measurable difference in the lives of those affected and in the future of the industry.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the softwood lumber crisis, the problem for small sawmills is sustainability, getting through the crisis and still being there when the trade dispute is settled.

How does the government think the small sawmills, which are concentrated in the regions of Quebec and are affected by the crisis, will be able to survive without financial assistance from the federal government when, according to the Minister of Natural Resources himself, this crisis will last another two years?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, today, a program designed to help the workers and the communities affected was announced. To avoid complex problems with the U.S., we must take the principles of international law into consideration. We have respected these principles and are confident that the program we have announced today will help communities and individuals alike.

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has always argued that financial assistance to small businesses would be contrary to WTO rules.

Why did the government turn a deaf ear to the Quebec government's proposals, which would have made it possible to provide assistance to businesses, yet avoid problems with WTO rules?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we carefully reviewed all the proposals put forward by the Government of Quebec and other participants in our consultation process, but we presented those elements announced today, having concluded that they are appropriate and efficient.

Government Contracts

[Kevin Sorenson, Canadian Alliance, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, by saying that David Nicholson did the work and by stressing that the contract was with a firm and not an individual, the minister is suggesting that his good friend Everett Roche did not receive any financial benefit in any way, shape or form. That is wrong. Mr. Roche is a partner and thereby benefits from all work that is received by the firm.

My question is for the Solicitor General. Why did the minister's friend receive a benefit from the Solicitor General's department?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague is well aware I issued a statement last week. I indicated that the contract was issued according to Treasury Board guidelines. It was publicly posted.

It was awarded to a firm as my hon. colleague has indicated and not to an individual as he said many times. In fact, this contract was given according to Treasury Board guidelines.

[Kevin Sorenson, Canadian Alliance, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as a senior partner in that same firm Mr. Roche benefits from any dollars that are received by the firm for any work, whether it is a $140,000 contract or a bake sale in the front lobby.

I ask the minister again: Why did he break the rules by conferring a financial benefit on a close political friend?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is not correct. The fact of the matter is that this contract was given according to Treasury Board guidelines. Mr. Wilson is evaluating the situation. He is reviewing it and will give his report in due course.

Softwood Lumber

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the softwood lumber crisis lasts two years, as the Minister of Natural Resources says, it is inevitable that a sizeable number of small regional industries are going to become even more vulnerable to buyouts by major U.S. companies.

How can the federal government and the Minister for International Trade ignore this phenomenon, which is likely to worsen as a result of pressure from economic interests, the stumpage fees and the strong American dollar?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the measures announced today will assist individuals and communities.

It is our intention to continue to monitor the situation in future and to adjust the measures accordingly.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, right from the start of the softwood lumber crisis we were aware that, legally speaking, Canada had every chance of coming out on top in this trade war with the United States. There has been a concern right from the beginning, however, that the Americans were just trying to buy time so that they could get rid of the competition by the time the dispute was settled, predicting that no assistance for businesses in this sector would be forthcoming.

Is the federal government not shirking its responsibilities by leaving these lumber companies to fend for themselves and thus walking right into the trap set by the Americans?

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear the hon. member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques echo the optimism we have always shown when before the courts.

We are well aware that the Canadians have a strong and solid case. We made it through the first hurdle in July with the WTO panel, which found in Canada's favour. I think Washington got the message.

That is why we at International Trade are engaged at the present time in trying to regain some of the initiative. Specifically, what we are going to do is to try to see, in light of the present circumstances, what U.S. law would allow. If circumstances change, the program might change accordingly.

Our approach is working. We are challenging them in court and at the same time holding discussions with a view to improving the situation and speeding up resolution.

Government Contracts

[Myron Thompson, Canadian Alliance, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Solicitor General has been beating a path to the back door. If he has nothing to hide, I wonder why he is hiding.

Everett Roche, the minister's two time official agent and a partner in the firm that he hired to give him strategic advice, as a partner, gets a cut of whatever contract comes through the door.

Why did the minister's friend and two time official agent receive a financial benefit from this department?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know how many times I have to tell my hon. colleague that this contract was given according to Treasury Board guidelines. The fact of the matter is that it was publicly posted and my hon. colleague is fully aware that it met Treasury Board criteria.

[Myron Thompson, Canadian Alliance, Wild Rose, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has never told us what criteria were met. Partnership agreements, depending upon how the business is structured, give the principals anywhere from 5% to 30% of the business its employees do.

My question is really simple. How much of the $140,000 contract from the minister's office went to his buddy Everett Roche?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I said to my hon. colleague many, many times in the House, this contract was not given to an individual. It was given to a firm.

Francophonie Summit

[Bernard Patry, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Francophonie Summit will be held next week, from October 18 to 20, in Beirut, Lebanon. The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for La Francophonie will be in attendance to represent the interests of Canadians on that occasion.

Could the hon. Secretary of State tell us what the stakes and objectives of Canada will be at the summit?

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa) (Francophonie)]

Mr. Speaker, let me first remind hon. members that Canada ranks second among partners in La Francophonie worldwide. One of the themes of the summit in Beirut will be “Dialogue of Cultures”, a very important theme, especially one year after the events of September 11. Another theme will be youth, to follow up on the Moncton Summit. We will also talk about democracy, good governance and human rights.

We will also have the opportunity to discuss the new partnership for the development of Africa. The Prime Minister will have a chance to raise the awareness of our G-8 partners. The summit will provide a golden opportunity to reiterate our pride in being francophones.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General today issued a scathing indictment of the government's inaction in enforcing the Canada Health Act. Not only does it fail to ensure that the principles of the act are applied, all five of them, but when violations do come to light, it sits on them, the majority for more than five years.

This issue is not about waiting for the Romanow report. It is about enforcing the law of the land. The health minister has a duty to uphold the law and protect medicare. Why is she not doing that?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we thank the Auditor General for her report today and her recommendations in relation to compliance activities around the Canada Health Act. In fact, as the Auditor General notes, a number of improvements have been made since the last report in 1999, including a dispute avoidance and resolution mechanism which the provinces, territories and federal government agreed to and which we all believe will enhance compliance activities under the CHA.

Working Conditions

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the right hon. Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister knows—at least I hope he does—that during the first session of this Parliament, there was a unanimous recommendation by the Standing Committee on Justice, calling on the government to introduce a bill respecting the accountability of businesses, in order to prevent tragedies like the one at Westray.

Could the Prime Minister tell us why that was not in the throne speech and will he commit to act on that unanimous recommendation in the life of this Parliament?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that the hon. member is trying his wings as party leader. That is very good. Obviously, we cannot list every bill in the Speech from the Throne. Workers' safety is an issue that concerns the government. I am confident that, if legislation is required, it will be introduced in due course.

Social Insurance Numbers

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the RCMP arrested 15 people believed to be part of a human smuggling ring.

Last spring we learned that immigration forms were used to procure forged passports for illegal migrants. The Auditor General says that identity fraud is a growing concern. We know that 1.6 million social insurance cards were used by short term visitors, refugee claimants, seasonal workers and foreign workers and that 900,000 have still not been cancelled.

Could the Prime Minister or the minister for public security tell the House if any of the people arrested in yesterday's human smuggling ring were carrying false or not yet cancelled social insurance cards?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to say again to the hon. member that today we have taken specific action to improve the integrity of the social insurance numbers. We will no longer take certified copies of identity proof, rather original documents. We will deactivate social insurance numbers that have not been used in the last five years. We will put expiry dates on the 900 series social insurance numbers.