Debates of May 7th, 2002

Parole

[Pierrette Venne, Bloc, Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, regarding the investigation, when a police force makes a blunder, the investigation is never conducted by that force. However, we are told that the Correctional Service of Canada and the National Parole Board will conduct the investigation in the Brossard case.

Does the solicitor general find it normal that the ones who will lead the investigation are the ones who are responsible for this blunder?

[Martin Cauchon, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, these are two services with a good reputation across Canada.

Again, the National Parole Board is an independent administrative tribunal. At this point, I think it is perfectly appropriate for these two organizations, namely the Correctional Service of Canada and the National Parole Board, to conduct an indepth and thorough investigation into this matter.

Government Expenditures

[Randy White, Canadian Alliance, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, let us review for the beleaguered taxpayer just what kind of integrity the government has.

The former minister of public works is under investigation, the minister of immigration, I hear now, should be under investigation, and the Deputy Prime Minister spends too much money on tulips to promote himself rather than anything else.

I wonder just when it will be that the government stands up and says “Gee, you know--

[The Speaker]

The hon. Deputy Prime Minister.

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations]

Mr. Speaker, I invite the hon. member to stick around this weekend and enjoy the opening of the 50th annual tulip festival.

I do not understand why it is okay for the Leader of the Opposition to write letters on behalf of the volunteer firefighters association when it is not appropriate for a member of parliament from this city to ask for the renewal of funding for an important local volunteer festival. Was any private interest promoted? No. This is a public event funded with public funds.

[Randy White, Canadian Alliance, Langley—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, is it any wonder why 70% of Canadians think these guys are corrupt over there? The reason is, they are corrupt.

Let me continue. The Minister of Finance uses public funds to make himself Prime Minister. Groupaction gets over $10 million of Canadian taxpayers' money and in return gives $70,000 to the Liberal Party. The Prime Minister gets caught in scandal after scandal in his own riding.

At what point is the government just going to acknowledge that people are concerned about mismanagement?

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about mismanagement. This past weekend Moody's raised Canada's credit rating.

Let us talk about mismanagement. The IMF and the OECD have predicted that Canada will have the fastest economic growth rate in the G-7 in the next year.

Let us talk about mismanagement. This government has earned the first surplus and maintained surpluses larger than those of any other country in the G-7.

Let us talk about mismanagement. Jobs have been created, economic success has been enjoyed, Canadians know what--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Winnipeg South Centre.

Veterans Affairs

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the members of the Port Rouge Legion, Branch No. 97, which is in Winnipeg South Centre, are concerned that the level of long term health care received by veterans across the country varies from province to province.

Could the Minister of Veterans Affairs please explain whether or not the care that our veterans receive is equal across the provinces and what his department is doing to monitor the level of care?

[Rey D. Pagtakhan, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question. Certainly the quality of long term health care for veterans is a priority for the government. In fact earlier this year we signed an agreement with the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation to ensure that the ten national health care options for veterans are implemented and in the process of accreditation. In fact today 93% of the priority access beds are accredited. We will continue to strive for excellence in the quality of health care for all our veterans across this nation.

Automobile Industry

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, in the past four decades the auto pact was a proactive agreement that built a hugely successful auto industry in southern Ontario and Quebec. As a result of a negative WTO ruling a couple of years ago that pact is history. With its demise this prestigious industry is in crisis and the trend line in Canada is disconcerting. By next year, Canadian auto assembly will shrink by 30%.

I ask the government what plans it has to revitalize this hugely important industry.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely right in referring to the importance of the industry to Ontario, Quebec and the country.

The Government of Canada is working closely in partnership with provincial governments to attract additional investment. We are also working with the sector, with the big three and the auto importers, to increase investment not only in assembly but in the acquisition of parts here in Canada. We believe we can ensure that this will continue to be an important sector of our economy.

[Dick Proctor, NDP, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, three years ago the Canadian auto industry ranked as the fourth largest in the world. It is now seventh and falling fast.

The reality is that the automobile companies can pick and choose between whether they go to the United States to states there or to Mexico. We are being outbid because there are incentives in place.

We have ignored this bidding war up until now, but the Oakville truck plant is proof positive that the competitiveness we once enjoyed is no longer there, so I ask, what are going to do? Are we going to get into an incentive arrangement so that for our plants we can ensure that this industry remains strong in Canada?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, what we are going to do is build on the strength of the industry here in Canada. The facts demonstrate that Canadian auto workers are more productive and produce better quality products than anywhere else in the world. Those facts are well known by the people who make decisions about these matters.

I was delighted yesterday to learn that in Oshawa another shift has been added to the plant, with 1,000 new jobs in that sector in Oshawa. That is a sign of the quality and productiveness of Canadian workers in the auto sector.

Government Expenditures

[Joe Clark, Progressive Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is now almost certain that the RCMP will be called in to investigate the Liberal Party's friends at Groupaction.

At least two other firms with prominent Liberal connections, Polygone and Columbia, got big contracts and made big money without tender or proper documentation.

Does the government really expect anyone to believe that there are only three skeletons in this closet? Why will the government not call a full public inquiry into the government's handling of advertising contracts?

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations]

Mr. Speaker, the auditor general's report will be tabled tomorrow. I suggest that the hon. member wait and have a look at it.

The auditor general herself is perfectly free to look at any other contracts or files if she wishes to do so.

[Joe Clark, Progressive Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last spring it was the Grand-Mère affair. This spring it is the Groupaction affair, the Polygone affair and the Columbia affair. The Prime Minister cannot ship all his problems to Denmark.

Why does the government refuse to launch a public inquiry into its handling of advertising contracts? What more does it have to hide from us?

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is no doubt making unfounded accusations. He is fishing. He should wait until tomorrow, when the auditor general's report is tabled.

Immigration

[Diane Ablonczy, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have shown a glaring inconsistency on refugees.

Last week the opposition raised concerns that desperate refugees across the globe are being elbowed aside by asylum shoppers from the U.S. The minister accused us of “wanting to shut the border” and made an irresponsible slur. Today we learned the government is suddenly prepared to do precisely what we suggested and turn back asylum shoppers.

Can the immigration minister explain why an idea he trashed last week is now government policy?

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the hon. member for her new critic's role.

The member may want to review some of the past work of the immigration committee where she will see that the committee itself has been talking about a safe third country agreement with the United States. She may want to go back to last December when the government signed an agreement with the United States, a 30 point action plan for an intelligent border in which a safe third country agreement was mentioned.

She will also understand that what she proposed of simply turning people around at the border was quite different from those negotiating the safe third country agreement with the United States.

[Diane Ablonczy, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is the Deputy Prime Minister who is saying that the agreement he is negotiating would allow either country to “turn back refugee claimants at the border”.

The problem is that when we try to engage in responsible, thoughtful debate in the House, what we simply get from the government is scaremongering, labelling, epithets and things that are totally out of line in a respectful parliamentary democracy. I ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when will the government put an end to such nonsense?

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Crown Corporations]

Mr. Speaker, even last week in response to one of her questions we offered her a briefing. Does the member understand the requirements of the Geneva convention? I do not think so. Does she understand the requirements of the Canadian charter of rights? Both of these have driven us to the conclusion, as did the immigration committee in the past, that it would be necessary to negotiate a safe third country agreement. That in itself is never a panacea as European experience will demonstrate to the hon. member.

Perhaps if the member were more responsible than to get up in the House of Commons and demand that tomorrow we simply turn all possible refugee claimants back to the United States, she would get more--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Joliette.

Softwood Lumber

[Pierre Paquette, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Trade is saying that the softwood lumber crisis has not yet affected jobs in this sector and that the problems are due to poor management by certain companies.

How can the government come to such conclusions, when Statistics Canada says that this is the worst shape that the softwood lumber sector has been in for ten years, because of the closings and layoffs resulting from the duties imposed by the Americans?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister for International Trade and the Government of Canada can clearly see the effects of the unfair duties imposed by the Americans.

We intend to use all available programs to support and provide assistance to workers, communities and the industry. We are committed to helping the industry survive.