Debates of Nov. 1st, 2002

Ethics

[Rob Anders, Canadian Alliance, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government's ethics package is about as weak as a kitten. The package has taken nine years to come together and it is still almost toothless.

The Prime Minister chooses the ethics commissioner. The draft has loopholes big enough to drive a truck through and cabinet ministers, the source of most of the problems, are treated with kid gloves.

The Canadian people want transparency from government. The ethics package keeps cabinet business behind the closed doors of the PMO. When will the government bring forward legislation which will treat backbench MPs and cabinet ministers equally?

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the hon. member would believe that backbench MPs should have to meet the same standard of conduct as ministers. In fact, the code of conduct for public office holders is of course much more strict and contains a lot more disclosure requirements than will be the case under the proposed code for members of Parliament.

I fail to understand why he would want MPs to meet that higher standard when they have a lower obligation to the public given the role that they play.

Privacy

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a spokesperson from Canada Customs recently confirmed the government's intention to include in its megafile not only personal information on air passengers, but also on people who come to Canada on cruise ships, ferries, trains and even buses.

How can the government broaden the scope of its megafile when the privacy commissioner has already stated that he considers it illegal and feels that it will turn every citizen into a potential suspect?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

In fact, Mr. Speaker, the authority for the collection and sharing of data is contained in legislation of Parliament. I believe it was Bill S-23, an important piece of legislation that also requires guidelines and permits audits by the privacy commissioner.

We have achieved the appropriate balance under that legislation to ensure both the privacy protection and civil liberties of Canadians and at the same time to ensure the protection and security interests of Canadians. That is what the API program is all about.

Health

[Paddy Torsney, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, chronic diseases such as diabetes affect millions of Canadians and their families and result in a staggering number of deaths.

Could the Minister of Health tell the House what the Government of Canada is doing to improve the lives of Canadians suffering from chronic diseases?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member has pointed out, chronic diseases, such as diabetes, kidney failure and cardiovascular disease, share many common causes, risk factors, treatments and prevention strategies. That is why I am very pleased to announce today in the House that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, working with the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Kidney Foundation of Canada, will fund a $6.9 million chronic disease research initiative. This joint initiative will help us better understand the common aspects of these diseases. More important, this new research can help us to prevent--

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Charlevoix.

Government Contracts

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Everest denies that it made a $1 million bid to organize the tour of the then Secretary of State for Amateur Sport, while the Department of Canadian Heritage says that it brought the amount of the bid down to $500,000. Obviously, the two versions contradict each other.

Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell us if she has made the necessary checks? I would like her to tell us who is telling the truth in this matter.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman raises the issue of value for money in this matter. Let me quote an independent expert:

--I want to congratulate the government for consulting with the sport community, whether it be athletes or coaches, as well as with other levels of government. I think these consultations were necessary--I even took part in several of the meetings--and I just wanted to congratulate the government on taking this initiative.

That quotation is from the BQ member for Châteauguay.

Automobile Industry

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago the Minister of Industry responded to my question on the need for an auto policy by saying he “convened a sector council”. That meeting was in June. His answer to how he was protecting one in seven Canadian jobs, he said not to worry, that he had talked to some people four months ago.

People are worried. In fact more than 20 Ontario mayors have called on the minister to meet with him to discuss a new auto policy. The mayors have joined the CAW and the big three and it seems that everybody is on side. In fact the list of those who do not understand seem to have dwindled to one, the industry minister himself.

Will the minister commit today to finally taking some real action and agree to meet with the mayors in December? Yes or no.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the letter from the mayors and would be happy to find some way to ensure that they have a voice in the process.

However the member should know that the answer to developing a long term strategy for the success of the auto sector lies not in empty NDP rhetoric. It lies in the hard work of bringing all the interests to the table, getting the right environment for that investment, the tax system, environmental and transport standards, ensuring we have the infrastructure we need and getting governments to work together with the industry to ensure it remains a strong sector in Canada.

Airline Industry

[Loyola Hearn, Progressive Conservative, St. John's West, NL]

Mr. Speaker, Air Canada committed to government to continue to provide services to all the communities served by Air Canada and Canadian Airlines for a three year period. That commitment is now up and Air Canada is cutting routes.

The minister might say he cannot interfere but he can do something about the reasons, which are increased costs because of security charges, airport fees and fuel taxes. Will he?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is correct. Under Bill C-26, Air Canada was obliged to serve those communities served by Canadian Airlines and Air Canada on December 21, 1999. That expires January 4, 2003, and it has given notice to terminate service to some communities.

Our experience has been that when an airline leaves a community with the sufficient notice as provided for in Bill C-26, other carriers come in. In his own province, Provincial Airlines and Air Labrador have immediately announced that they will fill the vacuum. That shows the airline policy is working.

Fisheries

[Keith Martin, Canadian Alliance, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, due to the government's mismanagement of our west coast fishing stocks, our commercial and sport fisheries have become increasingly dependent on hatchery fish to survive. Now the minister is going to make a colossal mistake. He will be slashing hatchery funding programs, despite the fact that it receives $20 for every dollar invested.

Will the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans halt these destructive cuts to our hatcheries and start standing up for our west coast fisheries instead of trying to destroy them?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is very concerned. He is very conservation minded and knows the importance of the role of fish hatcheries. He will do all he can to ensure, through his ministry and through his department, that their work is properly done.

House of Commons

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bakopanos)]

I have the honour to lay upon the table the performance report of the House of Commons administration for 2001-02.

Government Response to Petitions

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 10 petitions.

Committees of the House

[Joe Jordan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to table the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the selection of votable items in accordance with Standing Order 92.

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bakopanos)]

Pursuant to Standing Order 92(2) this report is deemed adopted.

Income Tax Act

[Ken Epp, Canadian Alliance, Elk Island, AB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-283, an act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of property taxes paid in respect of a principal residence).

Madam Speaker, this bill is an important one as we are taxed to death in this country. My bill could actually be called the freedom from double taxation bill because we all have to pay income tax on money that we then subsequently use to pay our property taxes. The bill would permit homeowners to deduct from their taxable income the amount of money spent on their municipal taxes.

This is a much overdue bill, and I hope all members will support it when it comes before the House.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Canada Evidence Act

[Ken Epp, Canadian Alliance, Elk Island, AB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-284, an act to amend the Canada Evidence Act.

Madam Speaker, the title of the bill hardly says what it is about, but it has to do with dates. Since we have moved into the years 2000, dates have become very confusing. For example, what does 4/2/3 mean as it pertains to a date? Is that 4 February, 2003? Is it April 2, 2003? Is it 2004, February 3? Is it 2004, 2 March? When there is a conflict or when there is a possibility of misinterpretation of dates in the Canada Evidence Act, the bill would provide that the default would be year, month, day. This is the international standard to which Canada has acceded.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Labour Market Training Act

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-285, an act to provide for the establishment of national standards for labour market training, apprenticeship and certification.

Madam Speaker, the bill I am introducing today seeks to address the serious skill shortages that exist around the country. It seeks to create national standards for training curriculums in all skilled trades and to create a national training advisory committee for each one of those trades to be peopled by labour and management representatives to aid in the standardization and the harmonization of training curriculum, entrance requirements and the ultimate certification of those skilled workers.

The bill also seeks to give the right to those national training committees to have some control over the spending of moneys in those skilled trade fields.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Canada Water Export Prohibition Act

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-286, an act to prohibit the export of water by interbasin transfers.

Madam Speaker, as the name of the bill states we are seeking to ban the bulk sale and export of water and in fact the increased commercialization of water. We are also seeking to address the environmental impact of the interbasin transfer of water and the risk of invasive species et cetera in mixing those two water sources.

The bill deals with first, the commercialization of water which we do not believe, as an essential quality for human life, should be commercialized; and second, the recognition of the environmental impact of the interbasin transfer of water. The bill would bar both of those.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Canadian Coast Guard

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I move:

That a debate pursuant to Standing Order 53.1 on the subject of the Canadian Coast Guard take place on Wednesday, November 6, 2002.

There has been all-party consultation regarding the subject of this particular debate and it has been agreed to by everyone.

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bakopanos)]

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?