House of Commons Hansard #30 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was research.

Topics

Fisheries and OceansOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough.

JusticeOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Progressive Conservative

Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS

Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the PMO's staff gaff, the rift between the United States and Canada has widened by the government's action. The recent B.C. Supreme Court case the United States v. Licht demonstrates how our influence has diminished.

In 1999 without the approval of the RCMP, a United States drug enforcement agency carried out an illegal sting operation on Canadian soil. Notification of such operations are required by an agreement between our two countries.

I ask the Solicitor General, has he discussed the Licht case with his U.S. counterparts? What is he doing to prevent unauthorized operations by foreign law enforcement agencies on Canadian soil?

JusticeOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Malpeque P.E.I.

Liberal

Wayne Easter LiberalSolicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing we can be proud of, it is the intelligence work that CSIS does and the good cooperation it has with its American counterpart south of the border.

I can assure the member that in all intelligence matters we cooperate with other intelligence services around the world in the interests of the health and safety of Canadians and in the interests of national security.

TaxationOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Brian Fitzpatrick Canadian Alliance Prince Albert, SK

Mr. Speaker, federal tax collectors are now auditing teams in the Saskatchewan junior hockey league and have assessed some for up to $14,000.

Let us consider the facts. All teams are non-profit. All teams are operating in the red. No player receives a salary. The players are billeted out to homes that receive $250 to $300 a month for accommodation and meals.

Why are federal tax collectors attempting to bankrupt an amateur junior hockey league?

TaxationOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Thornhill Ontario

Liberal

Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows that I cannot comment on any individual case. However I can tell him and other members that we have a responsibility at CCRA to determine employee status. It is something that we do on a regular basis. I can tell him as well that we are reviewing this particular situation, as we do all situations where concerns have been raised.

TerrorismOral Question Period

11:45 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Stockwell Day Canadian Alliance Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday with monstrous joy Hamas once again celebrated its ongoing murdering of innocent children and others, this time with a bus bombing in Israel. It said that this pleased God and it promised even more killings.

We now know that the Liberals, in shame and not on principle, may at some point reluctantly ban groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, as Great Britain and the United States did decisively long ago.

Will the Liberals, with action, not words, please save a shred of dignity for Canadians and for these murdered children and announce as of today, not sometime in the future--

TerrorismOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. Solicitor General.

TerrorismOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Malpeque P.E.I.

Liberal

Wayne Easter LiberalSolicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada condemns in the strongest possible way the brutal and senseless murder that took place yesterday in Jerusalem. It strikes against everything that a civilized society stands for. Our hearts do go out to the victims of that senseless killing.

With respect to the listing, I have told the member before that there is a process in place. As the Minister of Foreign Affairs has previously said, Hamas is listed on the United Nations Suppression of Terrorism Regulations. CSIS does not need a list in this country in order to do its job.

HealthOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Bloc

Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC

Mr. Speaker, we recently learned that Grand River Enterprises, an Ontario tobacco company, is selling packs of cigarettes under the brand Seneca that do not display the usual health warnings required under the Tobacco Act. Such warnings are compulsory.

What is the Minister of Health waiting for to implement the act and ensure the protection of public health?

HealthOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I must say I am not aware of the specific case that the hon. member has raised. Obviously he is quite right that there are rules and regulations. If they are not being enforced, after I investigate this matter on his behalf, I will take the matter up directly with those involved.

HealthOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Bloc

Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC

Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of Health pledge to use every means available to her to stop the sale of these products, since there is evidence that the producers are not complying with the act?

HealthOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, the commitment I will make is to investigate the specific matter that the hon. member has raised. If there are any violations of existing regulations, laws or policies, those will be dealt with expeditiously.

JusticeOral Question Period

November 22nd, 2002 / 11:50 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Betty Hinton Canadian Alliance Kamloops, Thompson And Highland Valleys, BC

Mr. Speaker, on the subject of stoning in Iran, the minister has been silent. On the subject of female genital mutilation, the minister has been silent. On the subject of raising the age of sexual consent and the banning of child pornography, the minister has been silent.

I ask the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women to explain her lack of action and her position. Is she muzzled? Does she condone these events? Or is she simply not interested?

JusticeOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford Ontario

Liberal

Aileen Carroll LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada, with particular reference to a sentence of stoning passed on a woman in Nigeria, has been very forceful and very outspoken in expressing our strong disregard for that kind of action.

We have been very much reassured by the remarks of the President of Nigeria that the appeal will not succeed and in fact that kind of punishment will not be meted out.

HealthOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

James Lunney Canadian Alliance Nanaimo—Alberni, BC

Mr. Speaker, first we had tainted blood imported from U.S. prisons. Now we are importing semen from U.S. prisons to produce Canadian children. The catastrophic fallout from disease spread by tainted blood has created thousands of victims and 20 years later continues to occupy the House and destroy the lives of the victims.

With recent deaths from organ transplants that contained the West Nile virus and untold pathogens yet to be identified, why is the Minister of Health establishing agencies to facilitate the international trade in human embryos, human cells and human body components?

HealthOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Edmonton West Alberta

Liberal

Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I am not exactly sure what the hon. member is referring to. If he is referring to our assisted human reproduction legislation wherein we will establish a regulatory agency to deal with in vitro fertilization among other issues, a vast number of Canadians generally and those who work in the health care profession have requested such a regulatory agency. This is largely an unregulated area and we need regulations to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

Rural DevelopmentOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Stan Dromisky Liberal Thunder Bay—Atikokan, ON

Mr. Speaker, the people of northern Ontario face a number of economic challenges brought on by geography, lower population densities and the cyclical nature of resource industries.

Will the Secretary of State for Rural Development and FedNor please tell us what the Government of Canada is doing to ensure that the citizens of northern Ontario enjoy the same economic and social benefits as those shared by Canadians in the rest of the province?

Rural DevelopmentOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Parry Sound—Muskoka Ontario

Liberal

Andy Mitchell LiberalSecretary of State (Rural Development) (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario)

Mr. Speaker, we have just engaged in a process of consulting with northern Ontario citizens, over 400 of them. Through that we have developed an action plan to deal with a number of specific areas, including access to capital, access to a competitive business environment, access to infrastructure, and access to a higher quality of life.

I look forward to working with the stakeholders, along with my caucus colleagues in northern Ontario, to bring this action plan forward and to carry out these actions. We are committed to creating an environment in northern Ontario in which wealth and jobs can be created.

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

John Williams Canadian Alliance St. Albert, AB

Mr. Speaker, in the supplementary estimates, CCRA is asking for an additional $52 million to “pursue revenue generation initiatives”. That is bureaucratic code for squeezing the taxpayer until he squeaks.

This week we have heard how the crooks, including prisoners at the Kingston pen, are getting rich on the GST scam.

My question for the Minister of National Revenue is, will she shut down these scams, save the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and go after the crooks rather than squeezing the legitimate taxpayers for their last dime?

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Thornhill Ontario

Liberal

Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is actually confusing the car-flipping scam, which is fraud and illegal, with the legitimate GST rebate.

I want to inform him that anyone who is in jail for more than 90 days is not eligible to receive that GST rebate. For those who are there less than 90 days, the only reason they are eligible to receive it is because they paid GST before they were put in jail. That is the law of Canada. For the member to confuse the two is irresponsible.

JusticeOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Larry Spencer Canadian Alliance Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK

Mr. Speaker, the Sharpe decision by the Supreme Court opened the door for pornographers to legally produce child pornography by filming themselves in consensual sexual activity with 14 year olds. They can later break off the relationship and use the legally produced pornography for illegal distribution.

I ask the government, how will the Minister of Justice make both ends of this activity illegal if he continues to refuse to raise the legal age of sexual consent?

JusticeOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Malpeque P.E.I.

Liberal

Wayne Easter LiberalSolicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite should know that the government sees it as a priority. Protecting children against sexual exploitation is a high priority. We are going after the predators. We have done that. There have been a number of changes to the Criminal Code to improve it . The government will continue to see that as a priority to prevent sexual exploitation against minors.

Softwood LumberOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Natural Resources said, regarding the softwood lumber issue, that he would take action in five or six months. In the meantime, many companies, including Tembec, Abitibi-Consolidated and Uniforêt, are suffering major losses. The situation is deteriorating in several regions, particularly in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.

Does the Minister of Natural Resources not agree that it is high time he stopped watching and start acting, including by offering a loan guarantee program to companies?

Softwood LumberOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Victoria B.C.

Liberal

David Anderson LiberalMinister of the Environment

Mr. Speaker, it is true that the softwood lumber problem exists everywhere in Canada. Unfortunately, some regions and companies are very affected.

As for helping a specific company, this is an issue that is in the hands of my colleague, the Minister of Natural Resources. He is trying, along with the industry, to create a balanced plan for all of Canada, not just one region or another. I hope that the details of his plan will be tabled in the House in a few weeks.

Public Works and Government ServicesOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Sue Barnes Liberal London West, ON

Mr. Speaker, the library community in the London area has expressed concern about the impact of a merger of two government programs; Canadian government publishing and depository services programs.

Specifically, they want to know if this potential merger that they are hearing about will affect government publications being delivered free of charge to the library community.