Debates of Feb. 4th, 2002

Arts and Culture

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh.

[The Speaker]

Order. The Chair has to be able to hear the hon. member's question. The hon. member for Renfrew--Nipissing--Pembroke has the floor.

[Cheryl Gallant, Canadian Alliance, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, an access to information request shows that Jean Carle might not have been qualified for the job at the Business Development Bank but he got the job because he was the Prime Minister's friend. Then he was hired by the Just for Laughs Festival only weeks after Alfonso Gagliano and the Minister of Canadian Heritage tripled the government's support for the struggling Montreal festival.

Did the Prime Minister instruct his ministers to give out this money, or were they simply acting on their own self-serving Liberal instincts?

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, it is not a struggling company. It is the world's largest comedy festival which last year was chosen as the premier Canadian event for 2002 by none other than the American Bus Association.

The suggestion that the Government of Canada should not be involved in a festival that has attracted more than two million spectators from across the country and around the world, that operates in two official languages and that last year had a tour in 13 communities across the country is absolutely for laughs.

Social Union

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Section 7 of the agreement on social union provides for review within three years.

Can the minister tell us whether he is preparing to renew this agreement, once again without Quebec's consent?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, the agreement does call for review after three years and we are currently engaged in it along with the provinces.

However the provinces want another matter settled: the dispute resolution mechanisms in the health field. I am very confident that this too will be settled and an agreement will be forthcoming in both areas.

[Yves Rocheleau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, can the minister indicate to us whether the Quebec Liberal leader, Jean Charest, has given him any assurance that he would be prepared to sign the social union agreement as it stands?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this is a matter I will, I am sure, have the pleasure of discussing with a premier of Quebec who believes in Canada.

National Defence

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has just told us in this House that the reporting policy related to the JTF2 was followed in this case. It is our understanding the PMO is directly involved in the chain of reporting for JTF2 missions.

In order to assure the House that the policy was followed, as the minister just told us, will the minister table the chain of command and reporting policy for significant incidents regarding JTF2?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, for reasons of national security I will not do that.

Significant reports are not filed with respect to the JTF2. The reports are given entirely on an oral basis.

[Charlie Penson, Canadian Alliance, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, how does the minister expect the people of Canada to believe his version of events if he will not at least table the chain of events that took place where the Government of Canada is responsible for mission control of JTF2?

[Art Eggleton, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I am responsible for the national security with respect to that organization. It follows government policy. Anything relevant to the policy it follows is discussed by the government.

If there is any variance from that policy. it is my duty to bring it to the government's attention. There has been no variance from that duty. It followed the law. It followed the rules of engagement. It is doing the job the government asked it to do.

Zimbabwe

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Oak Ridges, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the lead up to the elections in Zimbabwe, some Commonwealth officials have indicated that any significant measures aimed at the government of President Mugabe could strengthen his hand by charging interference by other states.

Given that Canada has indicated that it supports international observers, will the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell the House what steps Canada has taken in conjunction with other states to ensure fair, free and open elections in Zimbabwe?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been making strong representations to the government of Mr. Mugabe to ensure fair and free elections will be held in that country.

Last week on behalf of the government I attended the ministerial meeting of the Commonwealth. We proposed to send Commonwealth observers and I am proud to report that Canada agreed to send three. We made it clear to the Zimbabwean government that unless observers are accepted, our group will recommend that action be taken against Zimbabwe at the leaders' meeting in Australia at the beginning of March which would probably mean the removal of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth.

The Environment

[Bob Mills, Canadian Alliance, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, one of Canada's natural treasures is in trouble. The coast of Newfoundland with its colonies of sea birds is being put in danger by oil dumping. These spills are no accident. Foreign tankers and cargo vessels passing through our waters actually have an incentive to dump their oil because our fines are so ridiculously low.

When will the Minister of Transport increase his department's charges and fines for oil dumping so that we can stop this sabotage of our waters?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has a right to be concerned about tankers that ply international waters and spill their waste. He would give recognition to the fact that Canada is a signatory to the Paris MOU and the Tokyo MOU to ensure that standards are maintained and improved and that they are enforced around the world.

With respect to individual fines, these are matters under constant review. I certainly note the hon. member's representations and will discuss them with my officials.

Intergovernmental Affairs

[Pierre Brien, Bloc, Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Quebec Liberal Party critic for intergovernmental affairs has joined the government of Quebec and the Bloc Quebecois in saying that there is a major fiscal imbalance between Ottawa and Quebec.

Does the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, who is preparing to help Jean Charest fight it out at the polls, still maintain that there is no fiscal imbalance in Quebec or has the Liberal Party of Quebec helped him to see the light, and does he finally admit that this is a serious problem that must be resolved?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we share with Quebec an ally who has his own views on how the federation can be improved. It is only normal that our views do not always coincide on everything.

One thing is certain and that is that we want a government which believes in Canada in Quebec City, and not a government which is seeking the secession of Quebec from Canada and which hides its secessionist option behind hazy concepts like “European-style partnership”.

Arts and Culture

[Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative, Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the government's reckless spending practices are a bad joke.

The mobile and well-connected Jean Carle of APEC and Shawinigan infamy is at it again. It seems that everywhere the PM's prodigal son goes, taxpayer money is sure to follow. Recently released documents indicate that the Prime Minister's BDC cleanup man landed at Just for Laughs in Montreal, just in time to secure an additional half a million dollars from his former employer, the Government of Canada.

Why is the government increasing funding of scarce taxpayer dollars to Just for Laughs if it is doing so well as the Minister of Canadian Heritage indicated? More important, why was the money given retroactively?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member regrettably has his facts wrong. He said in the preamble to his question that the government had given the money just in time according to the representation made by Mr. Carle. Mr. Carle was not even working there at the time of the festival. It ran from July 12 to 22. He was hired two months later.

The Environment

[Walt Lastewka, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Great Lakes ecosystem is of great importance to Canada. Can the Minister of the Environment give the House an update about recent initiatives the government has taken to restore and protect the environmental integrity of the Great Lakes basin?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that the government is adding an extra $1 million to the Great Lakes sustainability fund, bringing the total to $3.4 million. This funding will assist in the creation of new fish and wildlife habitat, in the control of stream bank erosion and to minimize the effects of agriculture pollution.

We obviously have challenges that remain, but the government is committed to the environment and the Great Lakes.

[Bob Mills, Canadian Alliance, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we need action right now. Birds are dying along our coastlines. Our surveillance is inadequate. Our fines are too low, often being under $20,000, and insurance companies often even cover those, whereas in Europe and the U.S., fines are in the millions of dollars.

When will the minister increase the fines in Canada?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, it is nice to know that Alliance members are concerned about environmental matters. Certainly, if we looked at their voting record in parliament, that obviously would not be the case.

Jesting aside, this is a serious matter. If fines have to be increased, they will certainly be increased. Canada has a regime in inspecting ship source pollution second to none in the world. We will look into this particular matter and see what can be done.

Games of La Francophonie

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government of Quebec has already guaranteed $2 million in funding for the infrastructures needed to hold the Canadian Games of La Francophonie, which will take place in Rivière-du-Loup in the summer of 2002.

In the meantime, the federal government, whose idea these games were, has not committed a single cent, despite the promises made by the minister of immigration, who was then the secretary of state for amateur sport. The games will take place in August 2002. There is not a day to lose.

How much will the federal government put toward the operating budget and toward infrastructure so that these games can be held in Rivière-du-Loup, and when will it do so?