House of Commons Hansard #168 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was physical.
Paul Devillers LiberalSecretary of State (Amateur Sport)
Mr. Speaker, as we know, the Government of Canada has always supported our athletes. We are constantly reviewing our obligations and resources.
As the Secretary of State for Amateur Sport, I always try to convince my colleagues that it is time to support our athletes. I can assure the hon. member that I will continue to do so.
Robert Lanctôt Bloc Châteauguay, QC
Mr. Speaker, this is not just beginning. The time has come to provide resources and funding. The time has come to act. Athletes, coaches, officials and sports federations need more resources. The government can no longer hide behind its piecemeal approach, which targets specific areas.
What concrete action will the government take to ensure promising athletes do not give up their career because of a lack of adequate financial means?
Paul Devillers LiberalSecretary of State (Amateur Sport)
Mr. Speaker, it is not just a matter of funding or resources. The government is working with the provinces and territories, as it did two weeks ago in Iqaluit regarding the Canadian sport policy, to make sure that they accept our policy.
It is really disappointing that the hon. member would engage in petty politics today, when we have a delegation of athletes with us.
Dave Chatters Canadian Alliance Athabasca, AB
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister has made it very clear in the House a number of times that Canada's ratification of the Kyoto protocol depends, among other things, on obtaining credits for clean energy exports to the United States. This weekend the G-8 made it clear that Canada will not receive any such credits. There will be no more concessions.
My question is for the Minister of the Environment. It is now clear that Canada cannot meet the terms of the Kyoto protocol without significant economic damage. Will he abandon his unachievable plan and negotiate a reasonable North American agreement instead?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, much of the preface to the hon. member's question is incorrect because of course the G-8 is not a strictly European organization.
The European commissioner for the environment, Ms. Wallstrom, did indicate her concern on the issue of clean energy exports, but let me point out that clean energy exports reduce the amount of CO
2
that goes into the atmosphere and therefore help achieve the goals of Kyoto and of the Rio convention on climate change.
We think that the Europeans should stop judging before the information is in and recognize we have a UN sponsored conference in Whistler next month to consider that very issue. At this point there is no formal Canadian proposal on the table.
Dave Chatters Canadian Alliance Athabasca, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that credit for clean energy exports was a myth and the bubble has burst.
It is also clear that there is no provincial or industry support for the ratification of Kyoto. Cabinet is divided on the issue and now the special cabinet committee appointed by the Prime Minister himself has studied the implications of this protocol and has come out opposed to the agreement.
Will the minister heed the wise advice of his colleagues and abandon the Kyoto protocol in favour of a realistic, made in Canada solution?
David Anderson LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, once again the hon. member gets in trouble by putting forward inaccurate preambles to his questions.
The province of Alberta is at one with the Government of Canada in seeking to obtain clean energy export credits. That is a matter of record, which the minister of the environment for Alberta, the Hon. Lorne Taylor, repeated last weekend when he was with me at a dinner of the G-8 ministers.
I honestly do not understand where the hon. member gets his information for the preambles to his questions. It makes his questions appear ill-prepared.
Stockwell Day Canadian Alliance Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
Mr. Speaker, Secretary of State Colin Powell is in Lebanon and Syria today to persuade these governments to stop supporting Hezbollah, which has been attacking Israel relentlessly since last week.
This government continues to allow Hezbollah to fundraise in Canada. Will Canada finally act and put an end to Hezbollah's fundraising activities in this country, or will Colin Powell have to come here to persuade the government to do so?
Bill Graham LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, as I have explained in the House in the past, this government does not fund Hezbollah. This government allows some Canadian citizens to send money to an arm of Hezbollah that supports doctors, lawyers and politicians in Lebanon who are working to restore peace. We do not want to kill the chance of peace by putting institutions that might be worthwhile on the list.
I remind my friend that he was wrong the other day, when he said that France had put Hezbollah on the list, because this is not true.
Stockwell Day Canadian Alliance Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC
Mr. Speaker, the secretary-general of the United Nations has confirmed that Israel has complied with UN resolution 425 and has withdrawn from Lebanese territories. Yet the chairman of Hezbollah, as they continue to fire rockets at innocent civilians, said that they will always be opposed to “normalization” of relations with Israel; in other words, ongoing attacks despite the fact that Israel has withdrawn. The chairman of Hezbollah also talks about foundations that are set up to raise money for terrorist activities.
Will the minister commit, along with the evidence I presented to him last week from the RCMP and CSIS and evidence today, to ban these foundations in Canada from raising money--
Bill Graham LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, this is precisely why the government has listed and bans any fundraising for military activities of Hezbollah in this country. My friend makes the point precisely as to what our policy is about. We are not, however, going to stop doctors and politicians from doing their work to try to bring peace. Let us work constructively where we may and let us ban those activities which we know will lead to more violence. That is precisely what the government is doing.
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, Via Rail is currently in the process of replacing its fleet of locomotives. The diesel engines built by GEC ALSTOM in Montreal are very environmentally friendly. But its plants are not operating at capacity.
Will the Minister of Transport introduce corporate tax incentives which will unblock such products, particularly since GEC ALSTOM is in danger of closing for lack of orders?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, it is up to Via Rail management to decide on the type of equipment they want for their lines.
I am, however, prepared to discuss the matter with the president of Via Rail.
Peter MacKay Progressive Conservative Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough, NS
Mr. Speaker, the minister of fisheries has to realize that NAFO is not protecting Canadian fishing industries. Communities in his own province are dying because foreign trawlers continue to devastate fish stocks.
A Russian trawler caught 247 tonnes of undersized redfish, the same species that the minister refused to grant access to Canso and Mulgrave for processing. Not illegal, the minister says, but under NAFO redfish quota is not regulated nor is net size. Talk about catch and release.
How does the minister reconcile the lax rules and regulations of NAFO while ignoring, refusing--
Robert Thibault LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, the member should know that when I met with the owner of the Seafreez plant in Canso he specifically asked for 3-O redfish because, he said, he has one of the only markets in North America that can handle that very tiny fish.
That stock is small. It is not the same size as the stock of the rest of the Grand Banks and it does fall without the regulations of NAFO. The best way to protect our resources on the nose and the tail there is to work without NAFO because otherwise we would have nothing.
Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Mr. Speaker, on March 21, the member for Madawaska--Restigouche said in the House, and I quote:
On a number of occasions in the past, the Prime Minister has indicated that this highway project was a priority for his government. The people back home remember this and they feel the time has come to stop talking about the project and to start taking steps to make it happen: a four lane highway from Rivière-du-Loup, in Quebec, to Fredericton, in New Brunswick.
Will the government finally announce that it plans to invest in the upgrading of highway 185, a project in which Quebec has already invested $225 million?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, as I have already said in the House, there are many programs for funding highways throughout the country and in the Province of Quebec.
We are currently holding discussions with Quebec's Minister of Transport. I hope that an agreement will soon be reached so that the state of highways in the Province of Quebec can be improved.
Dick Proctor NDP Palliser, SK
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has recently indicated its intention to sell off its fleet of 13,000 hopper cars later this year. A previous government purchased these cars many years ago, first, so that Canada could meet its export commitments and, second, to keep transportation costs reasonable for western grain and oilseed farmers.
What assurances can the Minister of Transport give the House that the continued ability to export product and benefits accruing to western farmers will be front and centre when this fleet is put on the auction block later this year?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, we believe that the demand is such that these hopper cars when sold will certainly be in use for the transportation of grain. We do not believe that the actual ownership will affect their utilization.
Rick Casson Canadian Alliance Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, the United States congress is considering a bill that would cripple our country's agricultural sector. The bill would severely affect our exports at the border, all under the guise of safety from agri-terrorism. Our exporters would have to notify the border up to 12 hours in advance of shipments. This would activate any number of random inspections, preventing our products from getting to the American market.
This action is nothing short of protectionism. What is the minister of trade doing to stop this injustice and what is his game plan for when our agricultural exports grind to a halt?
Lyle Vanclief LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, in a meeting last Wednesday in Washington with the deputy secretary of health, I raised that issue clearly and suggested that rather than put that type of concern into legislation they put it into regulation. In that way they could recognize the virtual equivalency that we have between our two countries and not necessitate another piece of paperwork for the 10,000 truckloads of food that go back and forth between our countries each day. He said he would take that into full consideration. We will keep reminding him of our concern.
AgricultureOral Question Period
The Speaker
Pursuant to order made Wednesday, April 10, the House will now resolve itself into committee of the whole to recognize our Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
(House in committee of the whole to recognize Canada's 2002 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Games athletes.)
Canada's Olympic and Paralympic AthletesOral Question Period
The Acting Chairman (Mr. Milliken)
Order, please. I would like to draw to your attention the presence in our Chamber of Canada's winter Olympic and Paralympic medalists.
Thanks to their determination and their professionalism, these athletes have been excellent ambassadors for Canada. We also want to congratulate those medallists who could not be here today.
I would like to invite all hon. members to join me in showing our appreciation of their efforts, which have been a source of great pride for all Canadians.
Present with us today are, representing the alpine ski team: Scott Patterson, Daniel Wesley, Chris Williamson, Bill Harriott, Karolina Wisniewska and Lauren Woolstencroft.
Representing the cross country ski team are: Brian McKeever and Robin McKeever.
Representing the curling teams are: Don Bartlett, Kevin Martin, Carter Rycroft, Ken Tralnberg, Don Walchuk, Kelly Law, Diane Nelson, Cheryl Noble, Julie Skinner and Georgina Wheatcroft.
Representing the figure skaters are: David Pelletier and Jamie Salé.
Representing the freestyle ski team are: Veronica Brenner and Deidra Dionne.
Representing the women's hockey team are: Dana Antal, Kelly Béchard, Jennifer Botterill, Thérèse Brisson, Isabel Chartrand, Lori Dupuis, Danielle Goyette, Geraldine Heany, Jayna Hefford, Becky Kellar, Caroline Ouellette, Cherie Piper, Cheryl Pounder, Tammy Lee Shewchuk, Kim Saint-Pierre, Sami Jo Small, Colleen Sostorics and Vicky Sunohara.
Representing the speed skating team are: Éric Bédard, Marc Gagnon, Jonathan Guilmette, François-Louis Tremblay, Mathieu Turcotte, Isabelle Charest, Amélie Goulet-Nadon, Clara Hughes, Alanna Kraus and Tania Vicent.