House of Commons Hansard #162 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was excise.
Marcel Gagnon Bloc Champlain, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Coopérative fédérée du Québec announced its intention to invest close to $1 billion over the next 10 years.
In response to the Coopérative's request for assistance, the Quebec government announced on February 21 a tax deferral on patronage dividends.
Since the federal government is collecting two thirds of the taxes paid by co-operatives, will the Minister of Agriculture pledge to ask his colleague, the Minister of Finance—
Agricultural Co-operativesOral Question Period
The Speaker
The hon. Minister of Agriculture.
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the issue the hon. member has raised is one which I know is of concern to all of us. The specific issue is one that will need to be addressed by the Minister of Finance and the finance department.
With regard to the issue of co-operatives, we have shown very clearly in the last few years that we in the agriculture and agri-food department and industry support the co-operative movement in Canada. We know it has strengths. We also know that 40% of Canadians belong to a co-operative of some sort. We know the value it means to them and to the communities in which they live.
Marcel Gagnon Bloc Champlain, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is time for the government to show its support. The financial tools that would ensure the development of agricultural co-operatives exist. It is not as if they did not exist.
What is the minister waiting for to act?
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, I have told the co-operative movement in Quebec, and particularly on the specific issue the hon. member has raised, I too have raised it with the Minister of Finance and the finance department. We will continue in those discussions on behalf of and with the co-operatives.
Brian Pallister Canadian Alliance Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, the government has repeatedly acquiesced to the anti-Israeli resolutions of the fourth Geneva Convention and the United Nations. The Liberals' cowardly approach to such unbalanced resolutions has seriously flawed our reputation as a strong and honest broker.
Similar one-sided motions will be discussed next week at the United Nations commission on human rights. Will the government call for a ballot on those resolutions so that all participants, including Canada, can finally complain and make their positions known?
Bill Graham LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I wish the hon. member had been with me when I was in Geneva last week. He would have met with the deputy foreign minister of Israel and the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations human rights commission. They thanked Canada for the tremendous support that we have given to Israel over the years for ensuring balances in resolutions.
I can assure the hon. member and the House that we will examine all resolutions coming before us to make sure they are balanced and contribute to peace and progress in the problems in the Middle East.
Brian Pallister Canadian Alliance Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, that is typical, all aid short of actual help.
If the government does not take a stand, it will be complicit again in passing maliciously one-sided resolutions. This would hand a powerful propaganda tool to supporters of anti-Israeli violence.
The Liberal member for Mount Royal has called on the government to demand a vote on the anti-Israel resolutions and to push for reforms to the commission on human rights. The Canadian Alliance has strongly opposed the government's silence in the face of this unbalanced resolution.
Opposing the anti-Israeli resolutions is important. Will the government do that at next week's meeting in Geneva?
Bill Graham LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the government always seeks to assure that resolutions are balanced when they come before the human rights commission. We are certainly willing to accept voting rather than consensus on resolutions if this requires compromises which undermine the intent of our resolutions or which run counter to Canadian government policy. As I said to the press, we will be watching very carefully to make sure there is a balance in what is happening in Geneva next week.
Marcel Proulx Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services told the House that he would give the MIL Davie trustee until March 22 to meet the conditions relating to the contract to do the maintenance work on one of the Halifax class frigates, the HMCS Ville-de-Québec .
Could the minister tell us if any progress has been made on this issue?
Don Boudria LiberalMinister of Public Works and Government Services
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that, indeed, the MIL Davie trustee has met all the requirements and will be awarded the contract to upgrade the frigate HMCS Ville-de-Québec .
I thank the Minister of Justice, the Secretary of State responsible for the Economic Development Agency for the Regions of Quebec, the hon. member for Lévis-et-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière and all the other hon. members who helped with this issue.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, when gas prices at the pump go up, our economy suffers. This week farmers, fishermen, truckers and people all across Canada had to pay out more from their pockets to big profit oil companies. That leaves less money to take care of their families.
My question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. When will the government take a leadership role in monitoring and regulating gas prices by setting up an energy price review commission to stop the price gouging?
Andy Mitchell LiberalSecretary of State (Rural Development) (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario)
Mr. Speaker, on a number of occasions we have reviewed the whole issue of pricing. If the member has a specific example of price gouging that needs to be brought forward, we would be happy to take it under advisement.
Svend Robinson NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Mr. Speaker, as a British Columbia member of parliament, I can tell the Minister for International Trade that the breakdown in softwood lumber talks is having a devastating impact on British Columbia, on coastal communities and on forest workers. Just today we learned that layoff notices are being issued by Doman Industries. Today it is going to close at least two of its sawmills.
Will the minister make it very clear that the government is prepared to assist with a major aid package for the workers who are being devastated by the breakdown in talks? If we can come up with an aid package for Bombardier, surely we can come up with an aid package for the workers of British Columbia and the Canadians that are affected.
Pierre Pettigrew LiberalMinister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, we are normally not used to this kind of divisive regional politics from the NDP and I regret it. It normally belongs to the right wingers to do that sort of thing.
We are just back from Washington. We are going to continue with our two track policy. We are very sorry that the negotiations did not bring out the long term policy solution that we wanted.
We will go the litigation route. We will continue to work with the industry. We will continue to consult very closely with the industry in the provinces as to the next steps forward.
Loyola Hearn Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL
Mr. Speaker, the media in Newfoundland and Labrador requested information under the Access to Information Act from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans regarding the number of citations or warning tickets issued in the NAFO regulated region. Despite promises, no information was received. This week a promise was made to courier the information the next day. It was followed by a late night message left on the voice mail which said “Sorry, we will have to talk”.
What is the department trying to hide?
Fisheries and OceansOral Question Period
Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-De-La-Madeleine—Pabok Québec
Liberal
Georges Farrah LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for St. John's West must agree with us that there is absolutely no question of hiding anything whatsoever. Moreover, the department has very clearly demonstrated this with the appearance before the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans by Pat Chamut, the ADM responsible for NAFO negotiations, who gave a progress report on the negotiations. As well, there was yesterday's courageous decision by the minister to no longer allow ships from the Faeroe Islands access to Canadian ports.
However, as far as the specific request from the newspaper is concerned, we are in the process of assessing the situation, because the information requested is of course connected with international negotiations and we are going—
Gerald Keddy Progressive Conservative South Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister of fisheries finally agreed to take a small step toward curtailing overfishing of Canadian stocks by foreign boats. Yet his leader has still not even acknowledged 8,000 letters that he received asking him to protect endangered Atlantic salmon in Nova Scotia's rivers.
The minister of fisheries gave his word in the House that he would find a solution. He could start by asking his boss to answer his mail. Or is this like his attempt at curtailing overfishing on the Grand Banks, simply a little--
Fisheries and OceansOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has the floor.
Fisheries and OceansOral Question Period
Bonaventure—Gaspé—Îles-De-La-Madeleine—Pabok Québec
Liberal
Georges Farrah LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, obviously we are very concerned about the Atlantic salmon situation. There is a very big problem with the resource and with conservation. That is why the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is in constant communication, particularly with the Atlantic people, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, to ensure that we all work together on a joint solution to protect this species, which is very important to the economic development of this region.
John Williams Canadian Alliance St. Albert, AB
Mr. Speaker, the detailed estimates of Transport Canada were tabled in the House of Commons yesterday. One would have thought that safety and security spending for Canadians would be going up, not down. However, on page 38 of the estimates, last year's forecast for spending on safety and security was $65 million but this year it is down to $27 million.
Will the minister explain why the investment in the safety and security of Canadians is going down and not up?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary. The hon. member would know that we announced a number of measures in response to the events of September 11. They include $60 million for ports. We are spending $100 million on new explosive detection equipment for the airports, policing on planes and all of that. Much of that will be covered by the new charge which will be introduced as of April 1.
I do not think there is any inconsistency in what the hon. member has read in the estimates and the commitment of the government and Transport Canada to safety.
John Williams Canadian Alliance St. Albert, AB
Mr. Speaker, there is no indication of the money being collected by the new charge and there is no indication of the $100 million being spent, all because it is hived off to some non-profit organization that is not going to be reporting to parliament and does not come under access to information. This Enron style, off balance sheet accounting has to stop.
Will the minister admit that this newfangled way of administering security has more to do with fudging the numbers and hiding tax increases than keeping the Canadian public safe and secure?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I categorically reject the arguments of the hon. member.
If he reads the budget bill and looks at the new agency, he will know that all of the operations of the new agency will be fully analyzed by the auditor general. The auditor general will be able to call for every aspect of accounting. Obviously not all of the agency's activities can be revealed for security reasons, but the agency will be responsible to the Minister of Transport. I am accountable in the House of Commons.
This is just another case of the hon. member not really doing his homework and not really understanding what is in the budget bill.