House of Commons Hansard #25 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was international.

Topics

National ParksOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Howard Hilstrom Canadian Alliance Selkirk—Interlake, MB

Mr. Speaker, the heritage minister does not have an action plan to eliminate tuberculosis from the Riding Mountain National Park elk herd.

Because of Liberal inaction, cattle producers in Manitoba are incurring added costs for testing live animals for TB before they leave the province. These costs are a direct result of the minister's inaction on the tuberculosis issue.

Will the government commit to paying the added cost to farmers?

National ParksOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Hamilton East Ontario

Liberal

Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, we passed a law in the House a couple of years ago on the question of the ecological integrity of parks. It would be absolutely ludicrous for a minister of the crown who has no experience in veterinary or medicine to be making decisions on tuberculosis. In fact, those decisions are made by scientists.

I would certainly be very happy to sit down with anyone who feels aggrieved by this process, but the suggestion that I should be making decisions on TB is not very logical.

National SecurityOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Rob Merrifield Canadian Alliance Yellowhead, AB

Mr. Speaker, reports this week suggest that Iraq and North Korea have the smallpox virus. The U.S. has a plan to vaccinate every man, woman and child in the United States within five days of an outbreak.

It takes six months to produce a new vaccine and we have not even ordered it yet.

The Americans take this threat seriously. Why do we not take it seriously?

National SecurityOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Madawaska—Restigouche New Brunswick

Liberal

Jeannot Castonguay LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe that the hon. member would say that we are not taking this threat seriously. Since September 11, we have been taking very important measures to ensure that, in the unlikely event of a bioterrorist attack, we can deal with the situation.

As for the specific issue of smallpox, we are well aware that, should an outbreak occur, our part of the world would not be the only one affected. This would be a planetary problem. This is why we have begun to make representations to countries all over the world to ensure that if such an outbreak were to occur, we would share information and use a joint approach to control it.

InfrastructureOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

Mac Harb Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, municipalities are faced with a very serious problem when it comes to water and sewage systems and transportation. They are wondering whether or not the government plans some initiatives in order to lower the burden on Canadian municipalities.

Could the secretary of state responsible for rural development tell the House what he has in his coffers for Canadian municipalities?

InfrastructureOral Question Period

11:50 a.m.

Parry Sound—Muskoka Ontario

Liberal

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

Mr. Speaker, as part of the Canada infrastructure program, the $2.1 billion, I am happy to say that $680 million of that is being invested in Ontario. To date 318 projects have been announced in the areas of water, waste water, health and safety projects and many others. To date this is a $461 million investment.

We realize this is a work in progress. That is why in the Speech from the Throne we have committed to a new 10 year infrastructure program in the future to help municipalities and others.

National ParksOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Jim Abbott Canadian Alliance Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Mr. Speaker, there is considerable hostility between Parks Canada management and parks users. Property owners and lease holders providing services in our parks consistently state that the interests of environmental and native groups have considerably more weight with parks officials than do the concerns of parks users.

When is the government going to see Parks Canada as parks instead of exclusive preserves?

National ParksOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Hamilton East Ontario

Liberal

Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage

I think one of the issues, Mr. Speaker, relates back to the question that was asked about tuberculosis. One of the mandates of Parks Canada, which actually was conferred by this Parliament, is that above and beyond any other concern the question of ecological integrity is paramount. Obviously ecological integrity means putting the environment first.

Of course Parks Canada is very happy to meet with groups, individuals and others who feel that their issues do not coincide with those of the environment, but I think Canadians expect Parks Canada to put the environment first.

Search and RescueOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Mr. Speaker, the decision to use a civilian helicopter not intended for search and rescue missions led to the deaths of Captain Colin Sonoski and Captain Juli-Ann Mackenzie on July 18 of this year.

Under this minister's watch, rescue efforts were further hampered by the fact that the C-146 is painted camouflage green. Since 1996 there has been a request to paint the Griffon helicopters yellow so that they are easier to find when they crash.

Is not the reason the Griffon helicopters were never repainted that the military was waiting for the Sea King replacements to use as search and rescue helicopters?

Search and RescueOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Markham Ontario

Liberal

John McCallum LiberalMinister of National Defence

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer this question. It almost sounds as if it is a planted Liberal question, because the fact of the matter is that a couple of weeks ago I was in Goose Bay and met a corporal who was involved in that incident and who made a personal plea to me to have those helicopters painted yellow.

I have issued the instruction that the search and rescue helicopters in Goose Bay be painted yellow, so it is happening.

Financial InstitutionsOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC

Mr. Speaker, the proliferation of private ATMs is a cause for concern. They are totally uncontrolled and may, according to the Sûreté du Québec, might conceal money laundering activities, the cloning of cards, and the illegal recording of PIN numbers.

Will the government commit to passing legislation as soon as possible to limit the expansion of private ATMs, adopt tight regulations for them, and strengthen provisions of the Criminal Code to thwart counterfeiters and protect consumers?

Financial InstitutionsOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Oak Ridges Ontario

Liberal

Bryon Wilfert LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the banking payment system in Canada is one of the most sound in the world. The government does not generally regulate the pricing of financial institutions' charges for their services.

AfghanistanOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT

This is my question, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the member for Okanagan—Coquihalla stood in the House and stated that a year after the September 11 attacks a Canadian presence is needed in Afghanistan to visibly work with agencies to restore and protect school programs for young Afghan children and women. He also stated that Canada should now help build and maintain the programs that will make liberation in Afghanistan a reality for generations to come.

This gives the impression that the government is not doing its share to help with Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Cooperation please outline what the Government of Canada is doing in this regard?

AfghanistanOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine Québec

Liberal

Marlene Jennings LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Cooperation

Mr. Speaker, through CIDA, Canada has been and continues to be present in Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts. Since 9/11, Canada has committed over $160 million to Afghanistan. Of that amount, $22 million has been provided for reconstruction and development initiatives, including vocational training for women and primary education. CIDA does work on the ground with reputable organizations like UNICEF, CARE Canada and the Red Cross.

Before the hon. member for Okanagan—Coquihalla makes such misleading statements, perhaps--

AfghanistanOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

The Speaker

The hon. member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast.

Government ContractsOral Question Period

11:55 a.m.

Canadian Alliance

John Reynolds Canadian Alliance West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast, BC

Mr. Speaker, after 30 years here, I have found out that they plant questions on the other side. It is amazing.

I will guarantee the House this is not a planted question. I would like to ask the acting prime minister, with regard to the issue hanging over the head of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, could the government confirm that the matter has been referred to the ethics counsellor and could it confirm that has he reported or when he will report on this whole issue? We are going on a week's break. I think the public would like to get this issue over with.

Government ContractsOral Question Period

Noon

Don Valley East Ontario

Liberal

David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, I replied to a similar question yesterday and stated that there has been a complaint filed by a member of the opposition to the ethics counsellor. I assume that he is looking into that matter and will report in due course.

What I said earlier, I should also say in English, that is, the Prime Minister and all of us on the Liberal side of the House have the utmost confidence in the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the great work that he is doing.

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

Noon

Bloc

Suzanne Tremblay Bloc Rimouski-Neigette-Et-La Mitis, QC

Mr. Speaker, more and more complaints are being received from people who cannot draw employment insurance when they have left a job in order to care for a family member who is ill. In the last throne speech, the government made a commitment to remedying this problem by allowing people to look after family members who are gravely or terminally ill “without fear of sudden income or job loss”.

When does the Minister of Human Resources Development intend to follow up on this commitment made in the Speech from the Throne?

Employment InsuranceOral Question Period

Noon

Laval West Québec

Liberal

Raymonde Folco LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development

Mr. Speaker, the government does indeed consider it a priority to help Canadians strike a proper balance between work and family life.

As outlined in the throne speech, the government is going to bring in changes to these programs in order to provide Canadians with the necessary support when they need to be off work to care for a child, partner or parent who is seriously ill or dying.

Our main objective will be to provide an appropriate and effective response to the needs of Canadian workers and their families.

Presence in GalleryOral Question Period

Noon

The Speaker

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Geoff Plant, Attorney General and Minister responsible for Treaty Negotiations, from the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

Presence in GalleryOral Question Period

Noon

Some hon. members

Hear, hear.

Remembrance DayOral Question Period

Noon

The Speaker

As this is the last sitting day before Remembrance Day, I invite all members to rise and observe a moment of silence.

[Editor's Note: The House stood in silence]

Points of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

Hamilton East Ontario

Liberal

Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. When the hon. member of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage got up to ask a question, I neglected to congratulate him for his unanimous election to the vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. He has done such a great job he had the support of all his colleagues. It is nice to see that we have a committee that works by consensus.

Points of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

Canadian Alliance

Jim Abbott Canadian Alliance Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Mr. Speaker, along the same lines, now that we have learned that the Liberals plant questions, I wonder if the answers are the fertilizer.

Points of OrderOral Question Period

Noon

The Speaker

I do not think that was a point of order, with all respect for the hon. member for Kootenay—Columbia.