House of Commons Hansard #27 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was disabled.

Topics

Port SecurityOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister claims that the Liberal government is taking the necessary steps but just last week the president of the Vancouver Port Authority stated “Despite increasing demands to enhance our security, no federal funds have been forthcoming”.

The government has done no reviews of port security and has not put a single dollar into improving port security, yet it claims that it is taking the necessary steps.

Is this the government's idea of protecting the security of Canadians?

Port SecurityOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Chicoutimi—Le Fjord Québec

Liberal

André Harvey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, to answer my colleague, close to $8 billion have been invested in additional security measures and cases are evaluated by the department as they arise.

Rest assured that when requests are legitimate, grants are given and the appropriate funding will be provided.

Urban CommunitiesOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON

Mr. Speaker, in the recent Speech from the Throne the Government of Canada states “Competitive cities and healthy communities are vital to our individual and national well-being”.

With the tabling of the final report of the Prime Minister's caucus task force on urban issues, could the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs tell the House how the government will ensure our urban regions remain competitive and sustainable to meet the challenges in the 21st century?

Urban CommunitiesOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Saint-Laurent—Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Stéphane Dion LiberalPresident of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, thanks to the 18 months of hard work and intensive consultations done by the members of the Prime Minister's task force on urban issues, ably chaired by the member for York West, Parliament, the government and all Canadians will know more on how to deal with some tremendous challenges for the quality of life for Canadians living in urban municipalities.

The government, in particular, will find interest in the report's insight to fulfil its commitments to housing and homeless programs, and this will be done in collaboration with the provinces.

Canada Customs and Revenue AgencyOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Wendy Lill NDP Dartmouth, NS

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the finance minister.

The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency is regularly cutting cheques for millions of dollars to used car salesmen without documentation. At the same time government officials have been denying disability tax credits to some people with severe disabilities.

Why is the government giving out GST cheques to non-existent claimants while at the same time taking away tax credits from 46,000 Canadians with disabilities?

How can the minister justify targeting the most vulnerable people in this country?

Canada Customs and Revenue AgencyOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Vancouver Kingsway B.C.

Liberal

Sophia Leung LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, we are very cautious about that. We all know that 95% of taxpayers including businesses comply and pay their taxes.

We are doing a very adequate job and we will continue to do that.

Canada Customs and Revenue AgencyOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Wendy Lill NDP Dartmouth, NS

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate to anyone on the government side who is listening that the government's tax policies are punishing the wrong people, while the real tax culprits are left unchecked.

According to the CCRA's own figures there are $16 billion in outstanding income taxes.

When will the minister instruct his officials to stop harassing individual Canadians for a $989 tax credit and crack down on a $16 billion income tax giveaway?

Canada Customs and Revenue AgencyOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Vancouver Kingsway B.C.

Liberal

Sophia Leung LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, we also put additional resources into hiring personnel to do this. As I said earlier, we collect 95% from business, corporations and taxpayers. Therefore it is obvious that we are doing an adequate job and the best for the government and Canadians.

Canada Customs and Revenue AgencyOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, a question period briefing document dated January 31, 2001, obtained through access to information, reveals that when CCRA becomes aware of non-compliance it takes appropriate corrective action.

One case involving $20 million worth of car flipping has been known since 1998. The government seems content to crack down on the disabled instead of disabling GST fraud artists.

My question is for the Prime Minister who promised to get rid of the GST, to kill it. When will he get his government to take specific corrective action, and why is it taking so long?

Canada Customs and Revenue AgencyOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Vancouver Kingsway B.C.

Liberal

Sophia Leung LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, we have discussed the GST many times. We know there are cases of fraud but we are investigating them and have put a lot of resources toward that.

If we detect any fraud we will definitely prosecute. As I said repeatedly, we will take action to reassure Canadians.

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

André Bachand Progressive Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, in spite of the investigations by the RCMP and by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, in spite of the documents prepared for the minister advising him of the depth of the problem, the government has yet to act on the issue of GST fraud.

With all due respect to the hon. parliamentary secretary, could the Prime Minister give a straightforward answer to a simple question? How does he intend to deal with the issue of GST fraud?

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Vancouver Kingsway B.C.

Liberal

Sophia Leung LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, I will say it again loudly and clearly. We will go through the auditing process first and investigate second. If we detect any fraud we will prosecute.

Airline IndustryOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport said yesterday that there was no hard evidence that the air security tax on plane tickets was hurting the short haul air industry. He is wrong.

WestJet has experienced a dramatic drop in passenger flights between Edmonton and Calgary, and Vancouver and Kelowna. It also recently withdrew service from Brandon.

Transwest has dropped all air service to Winnipeg, Brandon and Edmonton and cut capacity between Saskatoon and Regina by 50%. Jazz is dropping all service to St. Leonard, Yarmouth and Stephenville in January.

All three air carriers cite the $24 air tax as a dominant reason for their problems. That is the evidence. It is on the table. It is a fact.

Why will the government not listen to this fact or is it too busy collecting the revenue and ignoring the air industry and Canadians?

Airline IndustryOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Ottawa South Ontario

Liberal

John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will know that there are many factors involved in the air industry. Perhaps he would like to advise U.S. carriers that somehow or other there must be spillover effect because they have been having some bad times as well.

The truth is that we do not agree with him that the general taxpayer should pay the additional costs of airline security, rather that people who use the airline services are the ones that should pay for it.

He should come clean and say that he wants people who never fly to pay for increased airline security.

Airline IndustryOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

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

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister's mortality math is as bad as his other math. On September 11 more people died in office buildings than died in the airplanes. It is a general security matter.

The air tax has been in place since April Fool's Day and only two things have changed with air security: first, the mass confiscation of nail clippers; and second, we now are asked if we packed our bags ourselves, which is hardly a relevant question if we are trying to stop a suicide bomber.

The reality is that airline pilots themselves do not feel safer. The Air Canada Pilots Association has asked the government to allow them to carry tazers into cockpits. If air security has improved so much, why do airline pilots want to carry tazers into cockpits?

Airline IndustryOral Question Period

2:45 p.m.

Chicoutimi—Le Fjord Québec

Liberal

André Harvey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is going to have to make up his mind. One day, security is important, and the next, it is not quite so important.

He is well aware that the tax is distinctly marginal as compared to the overall costs of the security measures the government has put in place. He is also well aware that this tax is continually reassessed.

Government ContractsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Robert Lanctôt Bloc Châteauguay, QC

Mr. Speaker, just before the break week, it was established that Everest had fulfilled a very large part of its contract for the tour of the former Secretary of State for Amateur Sport well before being officially awarded that contract, which shows that it was already in the bag, thanks to the former secretary of state.

Does the Prime Minister intend to ask for the resignation of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and former Secretary of State for Amateur Sport for having used his influence as secretary of state to benefit a personal friend, the president of Everest, in the organizing of his cross-Canada tour that began in June 2000?

Government ContractsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly said that he did not get involved in this issue and I have no intention of asking for his resignation.

Government ContractsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Robert Lanctôt Bloc Châteauguay, QC

Mr. Speaker, the former Minister of National Defence was relieved of his duties for awarding a $36,500 contract to a friend. The former Solicitor General also had to resign for patronage reasons.

How, from an ethical point of view, can the Prime Minister allow the former Secretary of State for Amateur Sport to keep his job when he acted in the same fashion as the other two and, moreover, originally denied the facts?

Government ContractsOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Wascana Saskatchewan

Liberal

Ralph Goodale LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services

Mr. Speaker, on the question of the contractual liability, there is no obligation on the part of the Government of Canada until the contract is actually issued and signed. That occurred on the last day of the month.

If a private sector company undertook obligations before that date, it did so entirely at its own risk and its own liability.

Public ServiceOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Paul Forseth Canadian Alliance New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the President of the Treasury Board, the official employer of the government.

Yesterday the minister tried to downplay and excuse the screening of the uncontrolled increase of federal public sector hiring. Nearly 30,000 workers were added to the taxpayer burden in recent months. Obviously the Liberals cannot manage. She claimed it was not her fault and beyond her control.

At 30,000 and counting, how many more bureaucrats does the government intend to hire?

Public ServiceOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Westmount—Ville-Marie Québec

Liberal

Lucienne Robillard LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, the number of public servants is not a yardstick for determining whether or not the government has lost control of its spending. Contrary to what the hon. member says, this government has kept its spending under very tight control since 1993. As a percentage of gross domestic product, spending has even dropped.

Moreover, the government has a duty to deliver programs and services to the people of Canada. It does so with a competent public service, as it has done for many years now.

Government SpendingOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Paul Forseth Canadian Alliance New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC

Mr. Speaker, it appears more is out of control on the government side. One section is buying millions of dollars of computers when at the same time it is dumping valuable server machines it never had any use for. In fact such a multi-million dollar mistake in the private sector would get someone fired for gross incompetence.

In view of this huge blunder, what has been enacted to protect taxpayers from the minister's next mistake?

Government SpendingOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Laval West Québec

Liberal

Raymonde Folco LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to this question because it concerns so-called waste.

We have not wasted $16 million on computer equipment. On the contrary, we are merely replacing obsolete equipment according to a clearly established plan. I would again like to state here in this House that serving Canadians using the most up to date equipment possible remains the top priority of the Department of Human Resources Development.

Kyoto ProtocolOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Charles Caccia Liberal Davenport, ON

Mr. Speaker, could the Minister of Public Works and Government Services inform the House as to whether actions are being taken to ensure that all federal government and crown agency buildings across Canada become energy efficient, less dependent on fossil fuels, and better at conserving energy to come closer to the Kyoto objectives and set an example?