Debates of June 21st, 2002

Official Languages

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question.

The Prime Minister made official languages one of the priorities of his mandate in the Speech from the Throne. We are determined to bring Canada to a turning point so that the fact that we have two official languages, which are international languages, is more than ever an asset for all Canadians.

For instance, we have decided that one of our objectives was to double the number of secondary school graduates able to express themselves in both languages. This is an essential dimension of the country's competitiveness, and we are determined to move ahead.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in announcing his action plan, does the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs also intend to provide francophone communities with the financial means necessary to achieve the goals he set?

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

Mr. Speaker, resources will certainly need to be increased, but there are ways of going about things. We must be very clear about our objectives and work very closely with the provinces.

I must say that in my contacts with my provincial counterparts, I sensed a desire to act. And I would like to congratulate the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, which strengthened its Official Languages Act. It did so unanimously and with the support of the people of New Brunswick.

Middle East

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, suicide bombers do not act alone. To perpetrate their deliberate attacks on children and other innocents, they need an extensive network of accomplices, people to build the bombs, financiers to pay for them, map makers and planners, people to encourage them with false promises of heaven, and people to guide them through military checkpoints and security clearances.

Is it the government's position that Yasser Arafat, a confessed terrorist himself, has no knowledge of the many people in these networks and that he is powerless to disrupt them? Is that our government's position on Yasser Arafat?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, everyone on this side of the House and I believe everyone in the House deplores these senseless acts of violence that take the lives of innocent people. The Prime Minister demonstrated that with his strong statement the other day to this effect. We constantly remonstrate with everybody in the world to stop these acts.

I agree with the hon. member that there are problems of incitement. I specifically spoke yesterday to the minister of foreign affairs of Egypt and to the minister of foreign affairs of Jordan to tell them to speak to Mr. Arafat to make sure that he clearly removes all incitement, all inducements of anybody in his area to take the lives of innocent--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Okanagan—Coquihalla.

[Stockwell Day, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the question was about Mr. Arafat, not those other ministers.

The Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have demonstrated over the last couple of days how vocal and condemning they can be of the United States commander in chief after they read unconfirmed media reports that he might have plans for Saddam Hussein. However, day after day, with confirmed media coverage of the suicide slaughter of innocent children in Israel, unless we push the government in question period like today, we rarely hear vocal condemnation of Yasser Arafat and his lack of action on this murderous network within his own enclave.

Why so much silence unless we push the government?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it must be Friday because the pushing of the government is coming two days after the Prime Minister's specific denouncement of this act. Maybe what pushing should be done is to the hon. member's staff to get him the information when released by the government. That might get us further along this line.

Veterans Affairs

[Rick Laliberte, Liberal, Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Veteran Affairs has stated in the House that finding a resolution for first nations veterans is a top priority for the government. The government has been very optimistic that this resolution could come to a close.

Could the minister tell us now, before the summer recess, is there a more definitive answer on how we can address the first nations veterans issue?

[Rey D. Pagtakhan, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State (Science]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question and for his continuing interest in this issue. I thank all government members as well others in the House who have expressed similar sentiments.

I am pleased to announce today that the Government of Canada on compassionate grounds has set aside $39 million to help in the resolution of this issue, with up to $20,000 per living first nations veteran, or their spouse, who returned to the reserves after the wars.

Softwood Lumber

[Andy Burton, Canadian Alliance, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, forest workers, communities and companies are coping with layoffs and closures as a result of the Canada-U.S. softwood dispute.

The senior minister for B.C. said several weeks ago that there would be an upcoming announcement of financial assistance for B.C. forest workers. Dollars to U.S. ad campaigns and R and D may be useful, but this does nothing to assist the laid off logger or mill worker whose EI benefits are running out.

When will the minister announce a package of useful and practical assistance for laid off forest workers?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, there can be no doubt that the government is very concerned about the impact of the trade dispute on softwood lumber workers in British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, really wherever the industry is found.

I want to assure the hon. member that currently the employment insurance system is strong and the vast majority of those workers in the industry will be eligible for employment insurance benefits. As I have said over and over again in the House, we are following the circumstances. We are tracing the employment insurance beneficiaries directly and if more needs to be done, more will be done.

[Andy Burton, Canadian Alliance, Skeena, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this really does not help those whose EI benefits are running out. The minister is doing nothing to assist these forestry workers other than to buy time for the government at the workers' expense.

It will be a long, hot summer for laid off forest workers and their families. They need to hear good news, not more of the same about WTO and NAFTA and advertising programs and programs that may or may not help them.

Why will the government not address real needs right now and announce a package which extends useful assistance to long suffering B.C. forest workers? Why not?

[Jane Stewart, Liberal, Minister of Human Resources Development]

Mr. Speaker, let me say again that real assistance is in place. It is there through the employment insurance program. It is there with the $13 million that has been set aside in the province of British Columbia specifically to assist these workers in their continuing skills development. Again, as I have said, if more needs to be done, more will be done.

Kyoto Protocol

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week at the consultations on climate change held in Montreal, organizations such as Greenpeace, Équiterre and Quebec's Environnement Jeunesse have reiterated the benefits of ratification of the Kyoto protocol.

Can the Minister of the Environment tell us whether, given the recent consultations and the example of the European Union and Japan, the federal government plans to ratify Kyoto this year?

[David Anderson, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. It is true that we have held consultations over the past three weeks with interested groups, industry in particular.

These very important discussions and consultations have proven very effective. We shall be continuing the debate with the Canadian public until the fall and I hope we will reach a decision this year, but we shall see.

We are going to reach a decision after all consultation has taken place and after we have a plan in place that does not have a negative impact on any of this country's regions.

Health

[Charles Caccia, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, released last week, a poll commissioned by the Government of Canada reveals that 84% of Canadians want labels on genetically modified foods.

Could the Minister of Health indicate when the government is likely to make a decision on the mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods?

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is fair to say that the government recognizes the importance to all Canadians in relation to the labelling of foods derived from biotechnology.

The hon. member has worked hard on this issue and is fully aware that the Standing Committee on Health is studying the matter. The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food has just recently issued a report.

The hon. member is also aware that we have presently voluntary labelling of foods where biotechnology has been applied to those foods.

I want to reassure everyone while we await the report of the Standing Committee on Health, both the Department of Health and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency put the health and safety of Canadians first.

Government Contracts

[Rob Anders, Canadian Alliance, Calgary West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I hold in my hand the last question. We have asked many times and have been rebuffed, refused, ridiculed and rejected. Still, Canadians demand answers. So I ask again for government concurrence with the Canadian Alliance call for a corruption cleanup, a full, independent, public, judicial inquiry now.

[John Manley, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, alas, we have asked repeated times and we have been stonewalled. We have even been ridiculed by the other side when we have asked them to come clean with the source of funding for their leadership candidates in the last campaign. Is it from Canada? Who is it from? What is it all about? They just want to keep it hidden in the dark. What are they trying to hide?

[The Speaker]

We could go on, but we will not.

This is the last scheduled sitting day before our summer recess.

I would therefore like to invite all hon. members to a little reception in room 216 after the House adjourns.

[An hon. member]

When are we going to adjourn?

[The Speaker]

It could be at any time, but that decision is not up to the Chair.

Regional Development Banks

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and on behalf of the minister responsible for the Canadian International Development Agency, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, a report entitled “Report to Parliament--Canada's Participation in the Regional Development Banks 2000”.

Alexander Graham Bell

[Sheila Copps, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the House for unanimous consent on the following motion, which has been discussed with all parties, regarding Alexander Graham Bell. I move:

This House affirms that Alexander Graham Bell of Brantford, Ontario and Baddeck, Nova Scotia is the inventor of the telephone.