Debates of Feb. 14th, 2003

Taxation

[Colleen Beaumier, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, decisions on these matters are made in a professional manner based solely on the law.

Let me reassure the member opposite that there is not, nor has there ever been, any political influence brought to bear on the tax ruling process.

Justice

[Vic Toews, Canadian Alliance, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the justice system is a mess and the justice minister is not helping. The courts have consistently failed to protect victims even where maximum allowable sentences are raised.

Under Bill C-20, child predators will still be entitled to house arrest instead of prison. When will the minister give Canadian children the protection they need by establishing minimum sentences for child predators?

[Paul MacKlin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, our child pornography laws are among the toughest in the world, unquestionably so. We have continued to follow up. For example, Bill C-15A is now in force and deals with Internet luring. We have increased penalties within proposed Bill C-20. I think we are doing a fine job. We are doing our utmost to protect those children, who are a priority with this government.

[Vic Toews, Canadian Alliance, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, why does the member not speak to police instead of bureaucrats?

Instead of protecting children in Bill C-20, the justice minister has refused to raise the age of consent for adult-child sex from age 14. He has failed to effectively eliminate all defences for child pornography. He has failed to eliminate house arrest for child predators.

Why will the justice minister not do the right thing? Why will he not finally change the law to protect our children?

[Paul MacKlin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, it is very important that the hon. member understand that we are taking many important steps and that all of these steps, when put together, are very effective in dealing with child pornography.

We have brought forward legislation in Bill C-20 that brings only one defence against child pornography. We have taken away the defence of artistic merit. In fact, it is going to be a very effective way of dealing with those who would be child pornographers. We are here to protect our children.

Iraq

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday during his speech, the Prime Minister took a soft stance, particularly in regard to the American Secretary of Defense who now, after having tossed around the idea of using chemical weapons, has not excluded the possibility of using nuclear weapons in Iraq.

Does the government not agree that it is time to tell our friends and neighbours that they are causing this crisis to escalate? Should Canadian diplomacy not be used to tell the Americans to back off?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said a few days ago and again yesterday, the United States is a country that greatly respects international law. We have complete confidence in its behaviour in this situation.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are entering into an extremely dangerous period, and the public is concerned. Given the statements made by the Secretary of Defense, there is an expectation that Canada, as a friend and neighbour of the United States, will work to ease the tension.

Can the Deputy Prime Minister understand that Quebeckers and Canadians expect their government to condemn the threat to use nuclear weapons?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I have nothing to add to what I and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have already said. We are confident in the fact that the United States is a democracy, an ally committed to the rules of international law, as is Canada.

Justice

[Chuck Cadman, Canadian Alliance, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week West Vancouver police clocked a street racer at 167 kilometres per hour in traffic. Later, with his ticket in hand, he boasted, and when he was asked about the consequences he just shrugged, saying, “I don't care”. Only days before, two street racers were sentenced to house arrest for killing a pedestrian. There is no deterrent.

B.C.'s attorney general is again demanding limits on conditional sentencing. The provinces are amending their traffic laws, so why will the minister not do his part by restricting the use of conditional sentences?

[Paul MacKlin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, clearly we are saddened when we see examples of this nature, but the reality is that conditional sentencing over the past six years has been excellent and has worked very well.

What the justice minister has asked the committee on justice and human rights to do is to take examples of this nature and look at the entire matter of conditional sentencing and bring recommendations back to him. The committee is meeting at the present time.

[Jim Gouk, Canadian Alliance, Kootenay—Boundary—Okanagan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, many violent criminals have been given conditional sentences, like the men who raped a woman and then were let off by a judge who outrageously stated she considered their Haitian heritage.

The former justice minister, now the Minister of Industry, in response to our complaints stated that it was never the intention that conditional sentencing should apply to violent offenders

Given this position, why will the government not amend the Criminal Code to eliminate conditional sentencing for anyone convicted of violent offences, as I have asked for in Bill C-347?

[Paul MacKlin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court of Canada says that there is denunciation through this process within conditional sentencing.

There is no question that we are in the process of reviewing the matter, but the fact is that it has been quite effective in denunciating this type of activity.

When the committee reports back, we will see what action needs to be taken, if any, with respect to conditional sentencing, but we believe conditional sentencing is working.

Gasoline Prices

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, all week the Minister of Industry has been telling us that he is not interested in the spiralling cost of gas and how it is affecting people.

Is the minister prepared to admit that, if he had wanted to show his concern, he would have already brought this matter to the attention of the Competition Bureau?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, this is the fifth time this week that the Bloc has called for federal interference in an area that falls exclusively under provincial jurisdiction. I do not accept the position of the Bloc. I do not accept their call for all powers to be centralized here in Ottawa. The role of the provincial governments must be respected.

We are responsible for regulating competition, but retail prices are a provincial responsibility.

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I hope the minister will be able to understand my next question. I am going to ask it for the sixth time, in the hope of getting the right answer.

In October 2000, the price of heating oil in Quebec was about 51¢ a litre. At that time, the government felt that the situation was critical enough to mail out cheques to help people, even some who were in jail or no longer alive, pay for their heating oil.

Now that the price has gone over 60¢ a litre, is the minister going to decide to make a move, thereby proving that the interest shown in October 2000 was not just a ploy to get more votes?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the provinces are the ones responsible for regulating retail pricing.

At the federal level, we are responsible for competition, and the Competition Bureau is constantly monitoring the situation. If the hon. member wants to see some action taken at the provincial level, let him contact his head office.

Child Pornography

[Darrel Stinson, Canadian Alliance, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, here is something else Bill C-20 does not address.

Michael Parfrement was caught selling child pornography over the Internet. Police found a huge collection of child porn on his computer. This pervert got only 14 months of house arrest.

Why does the government continue to stand on the side of pedophiles and perverts, and against the children of our nation?

[Paul MacKlin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the introduction of Bill C-20 was clearly brought forward to deal with matters of this nature.

Specifically, Bill C-15A, which is already in force, is being acted upon and will be used in matters of this kind, for it will not only allow for a better prosecution process, but will allow a judge to remove all of that material from the computer database.

We believe that we are doing the job. We will get it done and make sure that child pornographers do not get a foothold there.

Justice

[Philip Mayfield, Canadian Alliance, Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC]

Mr. Speaker, James Peart was convicted for sexually molesting children over a span of two decades. He was found guilty of 10 counts of assaulting children. His sentence was 20 months of community service.

Bill C-20 fails to address this atrocious denial of justice. Our justice system temporarily grounds abusers who have caused children a lifetime of suffering.

Will the minister commit to preventing those who sexually assault children from being handed conditional or inconsequential sentences?

[Paul MacKlin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member would take a look at Bill C-20 he will see that we are increasing the penalties and sending a message to the courts as to how serious we believe this matter is.

I think it is very important that we remember that it is not the Minister of Justice who hands out the sentence, it is the judge in the court. We have to send the message. We are sending a message through Bill C-20.

Canada Elections Act

[Mac Harb, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the government House leader.

Some time ago the House leader promised to take action on the Harper third party election spending case. I want to ask him exactly what action the government has taken since that announcement was made?

[Don Boudria, Liberal, Minister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that earlier this morning the Attorney General of Canada filed an application with the Supreme Court of Canada seeking leave to appeal the decision in question. The government believes that restrictions on third party spending during elections, and full reporting and full transparency are worthwhile objectives in a democracy.

Taxation

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of National Revenue said she could go to jail if she told us what she thought of a hockey team getting $60 million in taxpayers' money.

I come from Winnipeg where we know firsthand the folly of flushing taxpayers' money down the black hole of professional sports franchises.

My question is for the Minister of Finance, and he will not go to jail for an honest answer here, does he support the tax laws that bail out the Ottawa Senators to the tune of $60 million? To the Minister of Finance, yes or no?

[Colleen Beaumier, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat this again. Decisions on these matters are made in a professional manner based solely on the law. The minister has not now nor will she in the future interfere in any of these processes.