House of Commons Hansard #22 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-17.
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows very well that one of the key parts of the negotiating position that this country has put forward at the WTO in Geneva is that domestic marketing decisions will be made here in Canada, and that is referring to supply management in the dairy, egg and poultry industries.
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, in December 2001, in the wake of the last federal budget, the Quebec transport minister sent his federal counterpart five MOUs in which he had identified five highway projects considered as important, namely those involving highways 30, 35, 50, 175 and 185.
Could the Minister of Transport explain why he is offhandedly closing the door to any federal involvement in the project to complete highway 50, when not so long ago, the Deputy Prime Minister expressed great interest in Quebec's priorities in the context of the Canada strategic infrastructure fund?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, under previous programs, we have already invested $100 million in that highway. The hon. member is well aware that highway 50 is not part of the national highway system.
If the Government of Quebec wishes to have this highway included, the federal government will support it. The unanimous consent of all the other provinces will be required however.
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister knows full well that the national highway system and the priorities were established by the government of Robert Bourassa. As he indicated, the consent of the other provinces is required to effect a change.
There is still a strategic infrastructure program. What is disappointing is that the Liberal members, the members for Hull—Aylmer and Gatineau in particular, did not do their job. They would rather defend the interests of the government with the public than defend the interests of the public with the government.
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Quebec obviously has a great interest in highways, given that it has yet to sign the $112 million agreement under the program with the federal government. This obviously reflects the interest of the Quebec government.
Larry Spencer Canadian Alliance Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, the justice minister continues to handcuff law officers and tie the hands of parents who desperately want to protect their 14 year old and 15 year old children from sexual predators.
The government is choosing to hide behind the provinces. The legislative age of consent is the responsibility of the federal government. Will the Prime Minister stop accepting excuses, take the lead and raise the age of sexual consent?
Paul MacKlin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in the House yesterday, this matter is being considered at the federal, provincial and territorial meetings and it is the result of a long period of consultation. We are going to follow through with that, try to reach a consensus and then bring forward legislation if necessary.
Larry Spencer Canadian Alliance Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK
Mr. Speaker, reports say the justice minister has in fact slammed the door on raising the age of consent. He refuses to take responsibility and do the right thing.
The Criminal Code is federal jurisdiction. Changes to the Criminal Code can be made only by the federal government.
I ask again, will the government do the right thing? Will the Prime Minister take the lead and raise the age of sexual consent and help protect our children rather than just protect his own ministers?
Paul MacKlin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I think it is very clear that with respect to the age of sexual consent, it is important, and the provinces and the territories are taking this into consideration, that there are many social and cultural differences that have to be reflected in that law. Accordingly, we will work with the consensus.
Walt Lastewka Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, in an increasingly digitalized world, could the minister responsible for industry please update the House on what action the government is taking to ensure that our students, many of them employed in small businesses, have access to the technology and information they need to succeed?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is quite right to point out that in the world as we now know it Internet access and awareness of how to use the Internet are fundamental to both economic growth and social justice.
One of the achievements of which the government is very proud is that we have made Canada the most connected nation in the world. Last week an OECD report confirmed that and pointed out that we have the best ratio of students to computers of any country measured.
We will continue to do that to make sure our children have the tools to succeed in the future.
Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, repeatedly in the House the Minister of National Defence has stated that no decision has been made to close the Emergency Preparedness College in Arnprior. If that is the case, why is his department spending millions of dollars renovating the proposed new site at 1495 Heron Road if the department is still waiting for ministerial approval?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, as I explained the other day, under our system of government it is ministers who make the decisions and departments that deliver.
If the department officials are ahead of their time, then maybe they are a bit like Panasonic, but I have not made a decision yet.
Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, right from the beginning the minister has demonstrated a surprising ignorance on defence matters.
The minister says no decision, yet we have internal memos and now physical evidence that the decision to close the Arnprior college was made without the minister's knowledge.
Considering these facts, when will the minister take the appropriate disciplinary action and tell his power hungry bureaucrats to leave the college where it is?
John McCallum LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I will leave it to the House and to you to decide upon relative ignorance.
If the hon. member had been so enthusiastic about keeping that college open a few weeks ago, and instead of playing for cheap political tricks by asking a question without giving me prior information, she could have saved 24 hours and done her constituents a favour.
Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Bloc Laval Centre, QC
Mr. Speaker, a coalition of organizations defending the rights of disabled persons is denouncing the federal government's attitude in ignoring the conclusions of a unanimous report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, a report that highlights the serious administrative injustices experienced by individuals with disabilities.
Will the Minister of Finance heed the request of these groups, which are calling for a joint meeting of his department and government and community stakeholders to come up with a fair position for persons with disabilities?
John Manley LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, our government's record indicates that we have increased support for individuals with disabilities. I am certainly prepared to meet with groups representing persons with disabilities.
Rose-Marie Ur Liberal Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Mr. Speaker, in 1997 a pipeline company proposed to cross prime farm properties in southwestern Ontario and served notice under the National Energy Board Act. Three years later the farmers have spent thousands of dollars to protect their interests after the company abandoned its application. The National Energy Board Act in its present form leaves our landowners vulnerable and liable.
Would the Minister of Natural Resources tell the House and all landowners how the government plans to address this major problem?
Natural ResourcesOral Question Period
November 5th, 2002 / 2:50 p.m.
Vancouver South—Burnaby B.C.
Liberal
Herb Dhaliwal LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, I am aware of this particular situation. My officials have met with the landowners. There is a way for them to deal with this if they are not able to get an agreement. It is through the National Energy Board Act, subsection 87(3), where there is a legal recourse for these farmers if they feel they are not getting a fair agreement with the pipeline company. I understand they are pursuing that legal avenue.
Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Matapédia—Matane, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to recent data produced by biologists, the situation of groundfish is alarming. Stocks are not returning to anticipated levels, which could compromise the next fishing season.
In light of the very real possibility that the federal Minister of Fisheries will impose a moratorium, there is increasing concern in Quebec's maritime regions. Now is the time to plan the assistance to the communities that will be affected by this moratorium.
Will the Minister of Fisheries give a positive response to the repeated requests of his Quebec counterpart to set up a federal-provincial committee to discuss the groundfish issue?
Robert Thibault LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question.
Groundfish stocks are raising concerns in the gulf, in the north, in the southeast and in Newfoundland. The indications that we have had so far are not promising. We are waiting for the latest data. The Fisheries Resource Conservation Council will make recommendations on stock levels for next year.
In the meantime, we do intend to begin discussions with Quebec and the other provinces in the near future.
Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, the government slashed EI benefits, it increased qualifying time, and it penalized seasonal workers and workers who had to access the program more than once. There is a $40 billion surplus in the EI fund. The money is there. It should benefit workers who want to change or improve their employment opportunities.
When will the government pour money from the EI surplus into training and education?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the hon. member that we have made considerable changes and improvements to the employment insurance system. We have dealt with the question of intensity. We have made changes to the clawback. We have made the small weeks project full. Most importantly, we have doubled parental benefits to ensure that parents have the choice of staying home with their newborns for a up to a year.
Norman E. Doyle Progressive Conservative St. John's East, NL
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Council on Social Development reported yesterday that child poverty is growing rapidly in spite of a strong economy and government promises to do better. The gap between rich and poor families is also growing rapidly. Food bank use is up 12.5%. Some 300,000 children are using food banks.
Could the Minister of Human Resources Development please indicate how that could be happening on her watch and what immediate steps she can take to alleviate this problem?
Jane Stewart LiberalMinister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I welcome the report of the working group because it does highlight that we must continue to be vigilant and make appropriate investments to reduce child poverty.
I would point out that in the report there is a recognition that there is an actual decrease in the levels of child poverty, but we need to do more. That is why I am so glad that in our recent Speech from the Throne we talk about additional investment in the national child benefit, a direct income support for Canadians and low income earners with children, as well as recognition that additional money for child care is appropriate at this time.