Debates of Dec. 4th, 2002

Economic Development

[Gerry Byrne, Liberal, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)]

Mr. Speaker, we are aware that in several years hence there will be significant economic repercussions in northeast New Brunswick due to the closure of mines.

The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is already engaged in working with stakeholders trying to find mitigation in terms of its economic development strategies. We are doing grassroots, bottom level economic development in northeast New Brunswick. I would be pleased to continue to work with the hon. member and most important, with economic development groups from the area to rebuild that economy.

Kyoto Protocol

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, under the latest Kyoto implementation plan, the government falls short of Kyoto targets by 60 megatonnes in the first reporting period of 2012. According to the compliance accord under the Kyoto protocol, Canada will have to make up for any shortfalls in the second reporting period plus a penalty of 30%.

Can the minister advise how much of a reduction of the 240 megatonnes will be deferred and what the cost of that deferral will be, or is this something else the government has not figured out yet?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

None, Mr. Speaker.

[John Herron, Progressive Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the government in the other place confirmed that the federal government will use federal environmental statutes to implement the Kyoto Protocol.

Could the government confirm precisely what statutes it will use and how it will use them? Specifically, is it considering the use of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to declare greenhouse gases toxic, or is this something else the government has not figured out yet, or is trying to keep secret from the provinces?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, we are looking at the full range of legislation in the government arsenal because we fully intend to ensure that we meet the targets of the Kyoto agreement.

Terrorism

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we now have new public threats from terrorist mastermind, Hezbollah Sheik Nasrallah. In a recent speech to reportedly a crowd of some 10,000 gun wielding fighters, including several hundred suicide commandos, he said, “Suicide bombing should be exported outside Palestine”. It is crystal clear that Hezbollah is committed to attacks beyond Israel and on to western countries.

Will the Minister of Foreign please end his defence of Hezbollah and demand that the Solicitor General ban all Hezbollah activities in Canada? Will the foreign minister answer?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see the hon. member opposite reads the latest headlines in the press because he comes forward with a new headline every day. We do take this matter very seriously. We do note what the hon. member says.

In terms of the legislation and our responsibility in the government, we have to make our decisions based on the facts. It is spelled out very clearly that we must take into consideration the criminal and the security intelligence reports. That is what we will do and we will come forward with other listings in the future.

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, why will he not take into consideration what Nasrallah further stated on Lebanese TV. He said, “I encourage Palestinians to take suicide bombings world wide”. Add that to a report in the Washington Times today, which says:

Of concern for anti-terror agencies is the stronghold Hezbollah has established in Canada, which is seen as a springboard for future actions...

Never mind press reports, what about the reports from CSIS? Has the minister received reports of concern from CSIS about Hezbollah and why has he not acted on them?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure members that this country will not be a staging ground for future actions. Although a list is important from the broader perspective, as indicated, we are working on the information for that list. CSIS does not need an organization to be on a list to do its work in terms of the national security of this country.

Finally, the military wing of Hezbollah is on Canada's United Nations suppression of terrorism regulations.

École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe

[Yvan Loubier, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I saw Liberal ministers and members from Quebec applaud the answer given by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food when I asked a question about the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe. They were clapping for a non-answer.

Does the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food seriously think that when the dean of the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe meets with the American Association of Veterinary Medicine on December 9 he will tell them “Oh, by the way, I do not have a cent to invest, but I can guarantee that the minister is considering my file”? Does the minister think that is how we are going to save the school's accreditation?

[Larry McCormick, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, long before the Bloc raised this issue, the member for Shefford and other caucus colleagues brought this to the attention of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

The minister continues to work very hard with the deans of the veterinary colleges and with provincial education officials to explore all options for increased funding.

[Yvan Loubier, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have been raising this issue here in the House since April. If they are really so efficient, how is it that four days before the deadline they have not solved the problem?

The Liberal ministers and members from Quebec constantly drone on about how they are defending the interests of Quebec. If that is the case, then let them defend the interests of Quebec in the case of the École de médecine vétérinaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, and ensure that the $59 million are found for the school to keep its full accreditation next week. We are simply asking the government to save the only school of veterinary medicine that is at risk in Canada right now. The three others are not.

[Larry McCormick, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, let me assure the hon. member that the Liberal members from Quebec have been at this issue every possible chance they get.

The member for Shefford and other members have brought it up to us continually, to all the ministers on this side, and our minister continues to work to explore every avenue possible to fix this situation.

Kyoto Protocol

[James Rajotte, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, industries from across Canada have serious reservations about the Kyoto accord. Oil and gas industry in Atlantic Canada is concerned that the accord will choke off much needed investment. Approximately 100,000 jobs in the automotive, steel and mining industries in 20 Ontario ridings will be adversely affected by the accord.

Could the Minister of Industry explain why he has failed to address any of the concerns of these industries and why he has failed to voice any of their concerns?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, this is similar to the incorrect analysis put forward by the hon., member a couple of days ago about exploration in Alberta. The fact is Alberta exploration has gone up dramatically this year and the plan calls for a quadrupling of oil production on the offshore areas of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

[James Rajotte, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton Southwest, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the next two years Ontario faces the possible closure of four major auto assembly and component plants. Last week the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association of Canada released its blueprint for Canadian automotive prosperity. It said:

It is not rational to ratify the Kyoto Protocol Accord if the result is simply to ensure that more automotive assembly and parts plants will be built in the United States and Mexico rather than Canada.

Could the Minister of Industry explain why the government is willing to jeopardize investments in an industry that is so essential to the life of Ontario and Canada?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should look a little further in his analysis of the automobile industry and the possible impact of Kyoto than he has done.

The automobile industry is so efficient in terms of reducing the amount of energy used to produce a vehicle, that it is now using less than half the amount of energy that was used 15 years ago to produce each vehicle. That is the type of energy efficiency which, if applied elsewhere in our economy, would make it easy for us to meet all our Kyoto targets.

U.S. Embassy

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question deals with the cement barricades around the U.S. embassy. I have asked the Solicitor General this question and debated with his parliamentary secretary, yet cannot get an answer to the question.

Last year cement barriers were put up to prevent or push back a car or truck bomb attack, an attack we all hope will never happen. Should it happen however, the point of impact would be five metres further away from the embassy, and by the same token, five metres closer to our own citizens who work and live across the street.

Are we not putting our own citizens at greater risk with these barriers?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize the member for Ottawa--Vanier's interest and concern over this matter. Our objective is to ensure that there is safety for residents of the area as well as the people who work in the U.S. embassy. I understand that the RCMP and local police are still working with the community and the residents in the community, as well as the U.S. embassy, to reach a satisfactory solution for all who are involved.

National Defence

[Deepak Obhrai, Canadian Alliance, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, while the government cannot find any new money for the Canadian armed forces before next year's budget, it has quietly spent $11 million to build the Afghan national army. Why do our troops continue to go without while she funds the Afghan troops?

[Susan Whelan, Liberal, Minister for International Cooperation]

Mr. Speaker, we are not providing any direct support to the Afghan armed forces. In fact we are providing support for peace and security in Afghanistan of which $4 million has been transferred through the UNDP to support disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants; $3.8 million has been transferred to the UN law and order trust fund to support Afghan police reform; and $3.5 million has been committed to the United Nations to support the Afghan government's reform of the judicial system.

We are clearly not supporting and not funding the Afghan armed forces directly.

[Deepak Obhrai, Canadian Alliance, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we all agree we need to help in the rebuilding of Afghanistan, but the minister has not answered the question. The question still remains: Why are Canadian taxpayers paying for security for somebody else while we are not paying any money for our own armed forces?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the governments of the western countries do not want to be in Bosnia, Afghanistan and other difficult places forever. It makes eminent good sense for western governments to devote funds to train the militaries of these people so they can ensure their own security.

Dairy Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister for International Trade. Contrary to what he said yesterday, the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec contends that the reserves of medium cheddar cheese are at unprecedented levels, to the point where, last spring, in the central Quebec region, they had to dump 460,000 litres of milk. Therefore, the imports were unjustifiable.

How does the minister explain his decision to allow an additional 500 tonnes of medium cheddar cheese to be imported from the United States, unless it is that he yielded to the pressure from Ontario?

[Pat O'Brien, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that every other option was looked at by the minister and this was done on an emergency basis only. The supplemental imports were allocated to the Canadian Dairy Commission. It will do the allocation on a fair and equitable basis.