Debates of Oct. 24th, 2003

Airline Industry

[James Moore, Canadian Alliance, Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the transport minister announced $700 million in VIA Rail funding despite the fact that there is no money in this year's budget in order to finance his fetish for trains.

The minister's refusal to bring a concrete proposal on high speed rail and the money required for it will find him no friends in the transport committee and will probably not find him as a cabinet minister of the next Liberal leader. Like the Prime Minister, he will not be a major player in the next government. If he wants to be remembered favourably, he should put his toy trains away and focus on the real transport issues of this country.

Why is he persistently and constantly putting the rail industry ahead of all--

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Transport.

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to get into the silly rhetoric of the hon. member, but I would like to point out that in the last couple of years the government has made significant investments, in particular, in the air industry, not just passenger rail.

On the war risk liability, we have saved the industry $100 million. There was a $100 million payment after 9/11. There was $35 million for the cockpit doors to be refitted. It was a $72 million saving to the airlines for air screening at airports. We have done a lot for the air industry and other transportation industries, as well we should, but we do not apologize for helping the rail industry.

Agriculture

[Roy Cullen, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

In my riding of Etobicoke North, in an attractive residential area known as Thistletown, many very old and majestic trees are being threatened by a pest known as the Asian longhorned beetle. Affected trees will have to be cut down, but healthy trees could be saved by safely injecting them with the insecticide Imidacloprid. This product was successfully used as part of an overall eradication strategy in the city of Chicago.

Could the minister advise the House if a similar strategy will be used in Thistletown and when will Imidacloprid be available for use on trees in Canada?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we are all very disappointed that the Asian longhorned beetle has infested parts of the metro Toronto area.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is preparing an application to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency in the Ministry of Health for registration for the use of this chemical in this situation. If it is registered, it will be part of an integrated approach to the eradication of the Asian longhorned beetle in the Toronto area and in Canada.

[Rick Borotsik, Progressive Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this one might be a little tougher. The Minister of Agriculture promised producers that the BSE recovery program would ensure that cattle priced by August 17 and slaughtered by August 31 would be covered by the program. Producers in my riding were promised compensation in good faith. They have slaughtered their animals in good faith but they are still waiting for their money. They have been told that the program has to have an audit first.

Is this just another broken promise by the minister, and if not, when can my producers expect their money?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I am very disappointed that the hon. member is indicating that we should not do an audit. The opposition sits over there and tells us that we should mind and be careful of how moneys are spent.

Unfortunately, we found there had been some applications for cattle that were slaughtered that were paid twice. The applications came in twice.

There was an unlimited amount of money and everyone in the industry knew that there was a bookend, if I could put it that way, on the end of the program. As applications continue to come in after that, the applications will be reviewed. I can assure the hon. member that after the audit to ensure that the money was paid out properly, all the applications applicable--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Brandon—Souris.

[Rick Borotsik, Progressive Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister cannot speak out of both sides of his face, unfortunately. The problem is when he was asked in this House if it was a matter of money, he said “no, under the APF program there is $5.5 billion and we can bring that forward”.

We know there is a $7 billion surplus, so money cannot be the problem. The problem is not the audit. The problem is the minister has lost all confidence at the cabinet table. He has no influence at all. If that is not the case, then Mr. Speaker, show me the money, Mr. Minister.

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Brandon—Souris knows he must address his remarks to the Chair and although it was a clever ploy to call both Mr. Speaker and Mr. Minister, he knows he only intended to address one of us. However, the question is directed to the minister and he will now be able to reply.

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member wants a briefing on the difference between the BSE recovery program and the business risk management program, I would be pleased to give him one.

The BSE recovery program was an additional support to the beef industry on top of the business risk management program of another $312 million from the federal government. That will go to the producers.

The other program that is there for producers to apply on an interim basis, because his province has signed the implementation agreement, and at the end of the year is still there as the business risk management program and it has an unlimited amount of money.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, woodlot owners in the Halifax regional municipality have been suffering for over three years because of the quarantine placed on them by the CFIA on the brown spruce longhorned beetle. Now after hurricane Juan, thousands of these trees must be commercially harvested immediately to have any viability at all when it comes to economics for those woodlot owners.

My question for the minister responsible for the CFIA is this. Will he now work with the province to designate a mill that can handle the quarantined lumber so these woodlot owners can gain some economic viability from all the trees that have been blown down?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, in eradicating this insect, the hon. member I think is aware of the fact that hardwood trees, with a certificate, can be moved out of the ministerial quarantine zone. Softwood trees must be processed within that zone.

However, if the outside of those logs are removed and the inspection shows that the core of that log is not infected, with a certificate, they can move those out and we will work with the province on this. We have and we will continue as well to assess any alternate or suggested process of doing this with the province of--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Windsor West.

Canada-U.S. Relations

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a Canadian was held in jail for many months without trial because he crossed the U.S. border to get gas with a hunting rifle in his trunk.

Meanwhile this past summer we had two incidents in Windsor where American Detroit police officers came across the border and in the plaza of Canada Customs discharged their weapons. One incident actually had a victim.

What has happened over there is that both the Minister of National Revenue and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have ignored this American gunplay, not even asking for an apology.

I ask the Deputy Prime Minister, why the double standard? Why not stand up for Canadians? Is it acceptable to have Windsor as a gun range for American officers?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing the Canadian government is very proud of is the moves we have made since September 11.

We have set up 12 out of a potential 14 integrated border enforcement teams which work with local police forces with jurisdictions on both sides of the border, and with customs and immigration. We are continuing through those IBETs to ensure that there is compatibility on both sides of the border.

Aboriginal Affairs

[John Duncan, Canadian Alliance, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the minister why the government continues to allow children to go to schools that are in appalling condition on some remote reserves.

These schools would be closed until fixed if they were anywhere else. The minister wondered why I had not given him a heads up.

How about a three year heads up of formal inspections by Health Canada that have repeatedly pointed out these problems? When will the government stop discriminating against our children on reserves?

[Charles Hubbard, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I am again really surprised with the tone of the hon. member's question.

Our government works very closely with first nations people to see that there is an adequate system of education.

He is asking about a small remote community in northern Ontario, of some 300 people, who have a chief and a council. They attempt to operate a band and a school in the best interest of their community.

I am sure that if the hon. member would work with first nations people that we would have more progress in their educational system.

[John Duncan, Canadian Alliance, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, why do any inspections at all if Health Canada is going to fail to enforce anything?

Health Canada has been giving performance bonuses to corrupt officials who are now charged with fraud, bribery, waste and corruption, and yet we cannot get the basics right for our children.

When will the minister get the priorities right for our children?

[Charles Hubbard, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I was a principal of a school for years. I know that Health Canada can close a school and it has not closed this school.

I am surprised. We are dealing with education. We are dealing with a band council. The chief and council have not, as of this date, brought this matter to our attention in terms of Health Canada.

I am surprised that the member has the information. I hope that he will table it with our minister and we will certainly look into the issue.

Agriculture

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, although Quebec signed the agricultural policy framework, Quebec producers of cull cattle, the unwilling victims of the mad cow crisis, are on the verge of despair. They can no longer make ends meet. They are threatened with losing their farms and urgently need assistance.

The policy framework is not providing them with any assistance, so what is the minister waiting for to announce a specific aid program?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to work with the Liberal caucus members from the Province of Quebec and the cattle industry across Canada in every province.

The BSE recovery program was used by the beef industry and dairy industry in the Province of Quebec with considerable success.

My own staff, officials and I were in meetings this week with cattle representatives from the Province of Quebec representing both the beef and dairy industry in specific reference to older animals. Any program that comes forward will be available for both beef and dairy older animals.

[Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, just as the SARS crisis was important to people in Toronto, the mad cow crisis is important to cattle farmers in my region and throughout Quebec.

When will the minister understand that he has an obligation to help them, that the Quebec government appears to be running out of resources and that the federal government must now do its share?

[Lyle Vanclief, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I have certainly understood that.

That is why the government has put forward its support to the beef industry by 60% and the provinces put 40%. We are doing our share. When the Constitution says it is a shared jurisdiction, most people would expect that to be fifty-fifty.

The process and programs have been there in the past. In any program that will be developed in the future for older animals, Quebec dairy or beef producers will have equitable access to that program as any other beef or dairy producer across Canada.

Trade

[Brian Fitzpatrick, Canadian Alliance, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, recently, CAE, a Canadian firm, lost out on a $1 billion U.S. defence contract despite the fact it was the low bidder by 16%.

Derek Burney, the firm's president, fears that his company will have a very difficult time securing future defence contracts in the United States because of the damage caused by the Liberal government's anti-Americanism.

I ask the Minister for International Trade whether other Canadian defence contractors are now suffering the same fate?