House of Commons Hansard #177 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was microbreweries.
Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC
Mr. Speaker, Revenue Canada systematically refuses to allow related persons working in a family business to qualify for employment insurance. This situation is being condemned by the Law Commission of Canada.
Will the Minister of Human Development Resources admit that such discrimination is totally unacceptable?
Raymonde Folco LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I think that the hon. member opposite did not quite understand the legislation and the regulations.
The idea is not to exclude these people from the employment insurance program. Rather, it is to impose fines on those who fraudulently collect money from the government by lying.
Monique Guay Bloc Laurentides, QC
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary should do her homework and get to know her file.
Does the minister intend to amend the act by eliminating this discrimination and following up on the opinion of the Law Commission of Canada?
Raymonde Folco LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development
Mr. Speaker, I do not want to get into a big argument with the hon. member opposite. I think that she herself should look at the file.
These are people who collected money from the government by resorting to fraud. The hon. member should read the Canada Gazette and make suggestions. She has until next week to make suggestions to the Government of Canada as to which changes could be made to the regulations.
Chuck Cadman Canadian Alliance Surrey North, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice wants to consult more on raising the age for sexual consent. In this place in 1999 I spoke of a 51 year old sex offender who was acquitted of sexually assaulting a 14 year old girl because the judge believed she had consented. I think that power, control and coercion likely had something to do with that.
This law subjects young people to abuse by predatory adults. The need for more consultation implies some opposition, so just who is opposing the raising of the age to 16 years, and why?
Paul MacKlin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, we have taken leadership on this side of the House and we have set up a consultative process that has been ongoing for two years. As recently as February of this year we continued further to now set out, with our officials, to bring back recommendations so that in fact we will be able to go forward. If there are legislative proposals that will work we are going to implement them and make sure that our children are protected.
Chuck Cadman Canadian Alliance Surrey North, BC
Mr. Speaker, we have all heard of child pornographers citing the consent laws to defend their deviant activities.
Between March 1998 and March 2000, I tabled petitions totalling over 12,000 names demanding the raising of the age for sexual consent. That petition was driven by Diane Sowden, a dedicated activist whose young daughter fell prey to pimps and drugs on the streets of Vancouver.
The government has been consulting on the issue for nearly a decade now. Canadians have spoken loud and clear. Will the minister change the law now?
Paul MacKlin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, clearly we are not doing consultations for just the sake of nothing. We are here trying to react to the public concern, but we have to consult with provinces and territories because there are so many laws that interrelate with respect to the age of consent. It is important that we follow a good, bona fide process with our partners. We are doing that and we are going to continue to do that.
Stan Dromisky Liberal Thunder Bay—Atikokan, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct my question to the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development.
One of the government's innovation strategies is the creation and support of the Canadian academies of science. Could the Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development tell the House how Canadians would benefit from the creation of the new academies of science?
Maurizio Bevilacqua LiberalSecretary of State (Science
Mr. Speaker, I will do that with a great deal of pleasure. Leading Canadian scientists have recommended that the government create a national academy of science to provide third party assessment as well as to represent Canada's scientific community in international discussions.
Today, as we all know, the challenges and opportunities as they relate to science are global in nature. The Canadian academies of science will help Canada draw upon the excellent international network that exists worldwide.
This is a proposal that is part of the government's innovation strategy. When it comes to innovation, we aim for excellence.
Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, communities in Ontario and Quebec along the Ottawa River are facing a crisis due to extensive flooding. Unfortunately, because the federal funding formula penalizes Ontario, residents in other provinces may be eligible for financial assistance while Ontario residents will not be.
Will the minister guarantee eligibility to Ottawa River flood victims on both sides of the river to get the assistance they deserve?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, the disaster financial assistance arrangement is the same in all parts of the country. There will be no discrimination from one province to another. There is a formula. There is guideline that is in fact followed. If that guideline is applicable in this particular case, then of course the appropriate measures will be taken under the fund.
Cheryl Gallant Canadian Alliance Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, Ontario has never applied for flood disaster relief because the disaster financial assistance arrangements program is based on the population of the province, not need. Why is the federal government penalizing Canadians just because they live in Ontario?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, it is not. The initial responsibility is with the provincial government and the provincial government can provide whatever assistance it wants to.
In terms of the federal government, we reimburse the provincial government and we do that on the basis of a formula that applies evenly right across the country.
Yvan Loubier Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, over the past 30 years, the federal government has made administrative errors and made overpayments of several billion dollars to four Canadian provinces, particularly Ontario.
The provinces do not have to pay for this federal mistake and this is why those that did not benefit from the error are asking Ottawa for a compensation equal to the overpayments received by Ontario.
Will the Minister of Finance follow up on this and compensate Quebec and the provinces that did not benefit from such overpayments, by taking into account equalization and the federal miscalculation, which amounts to $210 per capita? This would mean an amount of $1.4 billion for Quebec.
Bryon Wilfert LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, currently the federal and provincial ministers are meeting in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, to discuss a number of issues, including the issue that the member has raised. It is an important issue to all members and to all provinces across the country. The government is reviewing the situation and I know further discussions will be taking place.
Ivan Grose Liberal Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the growing importance in today's society of information technologies, e-commerce and e-government. In past years the government has committed itself through concrete initiatives to assure all Canadians that this issue is taken very seriously in Canada.
Therefore, could the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board share with the House of Commons the results of the third annual Accenture report on e-government leadership?
If I had written this it would have been much shorter, but we will see what he can do with it anyway.
Alex Shepherd LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, the government is highly committed to keeping government online and to making government online as user friendly as possible.
It is with great pride that I focus on the Accenture report. This is a global, international management company which focuses on 23 countries worldwide. What was the number one country for getting people online out of these 23? It was not the United States, it was not the United Kingdom, it was not the European Union, but this country, Canada, through information technology.
Darrel Stinson Canadian Alliance Okanagan—Shuswap, BC
Mr. Speaker, on the front page of the April 25 Los Angeles Times a headline reads “CIA Warns of Chinese Plans for Cyber-Attacks on U.S.”, regarding both the Beijing government and private Chinese student attacks on American and Taiwanese computer networks.
Has the government received any warnings about Beijing cyber-attacks against Canada and why has the government put a hold on its proposed contracts for cyberspace threat and risk assessments for the Government of Canada?
Art Eggleton LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I cannot comment on specific intelligence that is received. We receive bundles of it on a regular basis. We are involved in a very high level network with a number of other countries.
We do in fact look very carefully at the possibility of cyber-attacks, both in this country and those relevant to the United States as well.
PrivilegeOral Question Period
The Speaker
I am now prepared to rule on the question of privilege raised on Thursday, April 18, 2002, by the hon. member for Kootenay--Columbia concerning a statement made in the House by the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
I would like to thank the hon. member for Kootenay--Columbia for raising the matter and the hon. Secretary of State (Amateur Sport) for his contribution on this question.
The hon. member for Kootenay--Columbia alleged that the Minister of Canadian Heritage intentionally provided incorrect information about the awarding of a contract. In support of the allegation, he cited the minister's response to a question asked during question period on Tuesday, April 16, 2002.
I have reviewed the minister's reply during question period and the explanation provided by the hon. Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in reply to the allegation. In response to the claim of the hon. member for Kootenay--Columbia that a contract in this case has already been awarded, the deputy leader said, and I quote from the Debates of April 18, 2002, at page 10565:
...there is a clear distinction between a notice that is subject to a 15 day review and the actual awarding of the contract...factually the minister's answer was correct. No tender has been awarded at this point.
I must conclude that in the present case this does not constitute a question of privilege but a dispute as to the interpretation of the facts. This is not the first time there has been a dispute over replies to oral questions. Of course, the hon. member for Kootenay--Columbia, if he wishes to pursue the matter with the Minister of Canadian Heritage, has other means at his disposal.
Karen Redman LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, a number of order in council appointments made recently by the government.
John Godfrey Liberal Don Valley West, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in two of the four official languages of the Americas, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Interparliamentary Forum of the Americas to the first plenary meeting held in Mexico City, Mexico, from March 13 to 16, 2002.
Mauril Bélanger Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have been paying close attention to the discussions in the last two days in the House about private members' business. I find it particularly interesting that various House leaders would see fit to consider adding a bill to the order of precedence and declaring it votable.
I would like to know if you would seek unanimous consent to declare votable one of the items that is already on the order of precedence as No. 11, Bill C-407, which would give Canadians living in linguistic minority situations, whether they be anglophones or francophones, better access to medical services, which I think is as important as those we have been dealing with in the last two days. Would you please seek unanimous consent for that, Madam Speaker?
Interparliamentary DelegationsRoutine Proceedings
The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bakopanos)
Is there unanimous consent?