Debates of Dec. 11th, 2002

Coast Guard

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister should go to both Washington and Tofino and compare. Not only is Canada's west coast in trouble, eastern Canada is also suffering the same fate. In Newfoundland the Coast Guard officials are being told to sail their vessels for shorter periods of time at slower speeds in order to reduce financial costs. This is completely unacceptable.

Whether by accident or by design, is the government simply attempting to meet its Kyoto commitments by instructing the Coast Guard to comply with such measures, or is it just another example of the government's complete and utter disregard for the safety of mariners and the Canadian Coast Guard in general?

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, it is sometimes confusing to listen to the opposition members who ask us to spend less money and to spend more money at the same time.

If our Coast Guard is operating more efficiently, using its resources in a responsible manner to live within its budget, I congratulate it, as do all Canadians.

Goods and Services Tax

[Rahim Jaffer, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue knows that she is covering up the total amount of GST fraud. The minister hides behind a barrage of stats.

The fact is GST fraud has been buried in the public accounts using Enron style accounting practices. Here is another fact. The total written off from public accounts over the last seven years was $6 billion.

How much of this $6 billion write-off was GST fraud?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday in the House very clearly, $25.4 million, not $1 billion, has been reported publicly on our website. Every time there is a conviction, we post it on the website and we put out a media advisory.

The reason we do that is that we want to be as open and transparent as we can be. It acts not only as a deterrent but it lets people know how successful we are in catching those who would fraudulently apply for GST credits.

[Rahim Jaffer, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that number is probably 500 times higher and the minister should be open about that here in Parliament. She refuses to bring that to light. Canadians deserve to know how many millions have been lost in GST fraud. The minister has an obligation to present the real figures to Parliament. She preaches about transparency but continues to hide the real numbers.

What will it take for the minister to be open and transparent to Parliament?

[Elinor Caplan, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, this is the first time that the member or anyone from his party has asked a question on this file in the eight years that we have been reporting this way.

Senior officials have been to the public accounts committee on many occasions. We are always available to answer questions on bad debt. I have given the member the facts and the figures in the House.

If we were not as effective in putting on our website the almost two convictions per day we are getting, the member would not have any questions to ask.

École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

The associate dean of the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe confirmed yesterday that the $35 million provided by Ottawa will only allow it to deal with the most pressing needs. Of the $100 million needed, Quebec has already given $41 million and Ottawa must provide $59 million.

Are we to understand that the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, having given only $35 million to the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, will be providing the remaining $24 million in time for the school to fulfill its commitments?

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

Mr. Speaker, this is an area that the federal government has not participated in before. In recognizing the importance of the veterinary colleges not only to animal safety but to the health of Canadians, we did make a contribution yesterday to all the veterinary colleges in order to help them maintain their accreditation.

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think the minister understood my question. I asked him whether he will be providing his full share.

Some of the work can be started now, but it must all be completed when the American Veterinary Medical Association visits the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe in August.

Can the minister therefore at least guarantee that the second instalment of $24 million will be provided in time, or promised today, so that all of the work can be started?

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

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should be standing and thanking the government for the contribution of $35.46 million to the college in Saint-Hyacinthe yesterday. The other colleges across the country have thanked the government.

As I said, this is not an area that the federal government usually gets involved in, provincial institutions, but we recognize the importance of them and we are prepared to help them. Yesterday we helped them to the tune of $35.46 million to the college in Saint-Hyacinthe.

Softwood Lumber

[John Duncan, Canadian Alliance, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is now clear that the government is incapable of managing the firearms registry, it has tried to bury GST fraud and it has no plan to implement Kyoto. Liberal mismanagement knows no boundaries.

The people hurt by the softwood lumber dispute have concluded that the government has no real plan other than to make promises and then never deliver.

Why will the government not deliver on promises made by the senior minister from British Columbia?

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member is saying is simply not true. All he has to do is look at the program that we have.

First we provided a $100 million program to make sure that we work on research and development and look for new markets for our softwood lumber products. Then in the second phase we announced $240 million. That is a total of $340 million to help the forestry workers.

We have also said if we do not get an agreement in the next four to five months, we are willing to look at more. We would certainly want to work with the hon. member to see what more would need to be done.

[John Duncan, Canadian Alliance, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber industry and workers are awfully tired of hearing, “Actions are a work in progress. Yes, we are still considering loan guarantees. Yes, we are still looking at other programs”. We have been hearing that for months and months. This was going to be resolved before Christmas two years ago.

What actions can we anticipate from the minister between now and the upcoming NAFTA decision in February?

[Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I guess the hon. member does not think that $340 million is a lot of money. Three hundred and forty million dollars is a lot of money to help the softwood lumber industry.

What we are working on is to make sure we have a long term agreement. The Minister for International Trade is working to make sure we have an agreement which allows us free access to the U.S. market, which is best for us. We want to make sure we have a long term agreement and that is what we are focused on. If further measures are needed, everyone can be assured that we will be there to support the industry and workers.

Family Law

[Raymond Simard, Liberal, Saint Boniface, MB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Justice revealed his new bill on the child-centred family justice strategy.

Can the Minister of Justice tell us how this bill could help families in need?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his question. It is a very important question for families and children. As hon. members know, there have been many consultations on matters of family law.

Yesterday, I was especially proud to put forward amendments to the Divorce Act. First, these amendments continue to take the best interests of children into account. And the concepts of custody and visitation rights are being changed, making it an issue of parental responsibility now. It is no longer a matter of law, but a matter of responsibility.

In addition, the Canadian government continues to invest in support programs such as mediation programs. It is going ahead with adding more judges—

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Surrey North.

Justice

[Chuck Cadman, Canadian Alliance, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago Irene Thorpe, an innocent pedestrian, was killed by a car involved in a street race in Vancouver. Last fall RCMP Constable Jimmy Ng was killed by a car involved in a street race in Richmond, B.C. Last weekend there was a horrendous crash in Winnipeg involving street racing.

For many years now police have been calling for government action to stop the carnage. Why will the government not listen and bring in tougher laws for this horrendous crime?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, discussions with regard to reforms to the Criminal Code are taking place on an ongoing basis. Various committees are looking at various parts of the Criminal Code as well. We are having federal, provincial and territorial discussions each and every time.

As well, we are planning to proceed with further amendments later next year. As everyone also knows, at this point in time we are consulting in order to see if reforms should take place in the criminal laws and if that is the case, the way we should proceed in order to fulfill our duties.

[Chuck Cadman, Canadian Alliance, Surrey North, BC]

More studies, Mr. Speaker.

Irene Thorpe's killers were convicted of criminal negligence causing death. The court records indicate that neither one is a Canadian citizen. The Immigration Act states that any permanent resident convicted of an offence punishable by more than 10 years in prison is inadmissible to Canada. Criminal negligence causing death is such an offence.

Will the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration commence the removal process immediately to ensure that these individuals are deported?

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I will not comment on any specifics here today. However, under the new Immigration Act, in certain situations we apply the new regulations to make sure that we again improve the security of our citizens.

Fisheries

[Jean-Yves Roy, Bloc, Matapédia—Matane, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in its April 2002 report, the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council states that the main cause of the depleted fish stocks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is too large a seal population.

What is the minister waiting for to give a clear to the industry and raise the seal hunting quotas so that ground fish stocks have a chance to recover?

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his excellent question. He will recall that flexible measures were adopted last year for seal hunt management. This is the first or second time in 25 years that the quotas have been reached. Since market conditions were very good and the communities were in need, authorization was given to exceed the quotas. I have invited my department to look into the possibility of a long term plan which would entail higher quotas. These consultations were held not long ago.

Automobile Industry

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while the industry minister takes seven months to get around to meeting with the auto sector partnership council for only a second time, 871 GM workers in London are being laid off with the help of a $3.2 billion loan from the government. That is on top of the 2,200 jobs lost at Navistar, in Chatham, which is moving to Mexico.

While he muses about his leadership ambitions we have more than 3,000 new jobs and investment in excess of $1 billion in jeopardy in Windsor because the minister will not come to the table.

When will the minister get it right? We are asking for a Canadian auto strategy, not the Mexican plan his colleague has implemented. When will we have a Canadian auto strategy instead of meeting once every blue moon when the minister's campaign schedule needs a photo op?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, while the member continues quite wrongly to portray the auto sector in Canada as declining, the facts prove just the opposite. Over the last number of months, indeed in recent years, major car companies have made significant investments in assembly plants, adding shifts and products, because Canadian auto workers produce excellent cars.

The auto council last met in June. It will meet again next week. It is 19 people and in between times we have had five working groups doing hard work on the substantive issues, unlike the member who relies only on--