Debates of Feb. 17th, 2003

National Defence

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I think the member prepared the second question before hearing my answer.

The fact of the matter is that the plan had been developed weeks ago.

However, I would draw the attention of the House to the member's own statement to the effect that the mission in Afghanistan is a second tier mission. I would question that. When we are coming to the aid of the beleaguered country of Afghanistan, when we are indicating our support for the continuing struggle against terrorism, when all our allies are backing this decision, when it is something of which Canadians will be proud, it is not a second tier mission.

Iraq

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is flip flopping so much on Iraq that in the end, anything is possible. Canada's position is a hodge-podge that the minister is using to appease both the United States and those working for peace.

Does the minister not realize that with Canada behaving like a chameleon depending on whom it is talking to, it is not contributing at all to solving the situation in Iraq?

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we have contributed to a solution that is fully in line with Canada's initial position in this matter, to the effect that this is a matter that requires the active participation of the Security Council as an instrument chosen by the world to manage this type of dangerous crisis.

That is the current situation. It is resolution 1441 that establishes the parameters under which we must act. Our position will remain unchanged.

Mr. Blix has given his testimony. We know where we stand. The Security Council will assume its responsibility and Canada has always supported this.

[Claude Bachand, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the people in the streets on Saturday sent an unequivocal message for peace, and they demand that the Government of Canada send a similar message.

Will the government announce that it refuses, under any circumstances, to participate in a unilateral intervention against Iraq by the United States? That is what we want from the government.

[Bill Graham, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action. The Prime Minister spent the entire weekend on the phone with his counterparts across the world to come up with the compromise needed so that the Security Council can help us come out of this crisis with the UN strengthened, with our ability to make peace strengthened, and to prevent this situation from escalating to war.

This is what we have been doing. This is serious work, not like what others have been doing.

National Defence

[Deborah Grey, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last year the government had to pull back our soldiers from a mission to Afghanistan because we could not even sustain a commitment of 800-plus troops for six months. Now in order for the Prime Minister to avoid a pretty sticky international pickle, it has promised a new Canadian commitment to Afghanistan requiring a rumoured 1,000-plus troops for a full year.

My math may not be the greatest but I would like the government to figure this out. If we could not sustain 800-plus troops for half a year, how in the world can we sustain 1,000-plus troops for a full year?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, when we withdrew our soldiers from Afghanistan we still had, and we still have, air and naval forces there. We also said at the time that we may return to Afghanistan at some future date, which is precisely what we announced this week.

As I said earlier in answer to a question from the hon. member's colleague, this was a military plan. I had discussed it with the military for a matter of weeks. It came from the military. It is clear we are able to sustain this mission. The military said it was feasible, the government announced it and it will be done.

[Deborah Grey, Canadian Alliance, Edmonton North, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is one thing to assume that key military planners were in on planning and obviously let us hope that the minister would do that, but who has any idea whether they were actually in on any decision? The chief of the land staff apparently was advised of the decision only five minutes before it was released to the press. This is ludicrous. We know that members of our military are nervous. They do a tremendous job, but they are certainly wondering who is minding the store.

Regardless of whether the military was actually in on the planning, why does the government think that it can have surprise announcements like this when the Auditor General has said so many times that Parliament is kept in the dark. Obviously not--

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of National Defence.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know why I have to answer the same question so many different times. The fact is that the military plan was devised weeks ago.

The other point that everybody in the army understands but perhaps the hon. member does not, is that ultimately in a democracy it is not the army that decides where the army will go. It is the democratically elected government acting on the military advice of the military that makes that decision, and that is precisely what we did.

Gasoline Prices

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry refuses to order an investigation into the increase in gasoline prices.

Because of his inaction, the Bloc Quebecois has decided to use the parliamentary means at its disposal. Therefore, I have presented a motion to compel the oil and gas companies to appear before the Standing Committee on Industry.

Will the government tell its committee members to support the Bloc in voting in favour of a resolution to compel the oil and gas companies to testify about their actions with regard to the huge spike in gasoline prices?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy that the committee has decided to investigate this important matter. But the reality is that the hon. member's complaint relates to retail gasoline prices in the provinces.

As I indicated last week, the provinces have jurisdiction over regulating these prices. So, investigate in the committees, but stay out of the provinces' jurisdiction.

[Paul Crête, Bloc, Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as far as I can tell, the Minister of Industry is still refusing to order an investigation into the collusion among oil and gas companies, I repeat, the collusion among oil and gas companies. People have the right to know if the government intends to support the Bloc Quebecois' initiatice.

Will government members on the committee be told to compel the oil and gas companies to appear before the committee and explain their actions, yes or no?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the Competition Bureau has investigated the actions of the oil and gas companies on several occasions in the past. If the hon. member has testimony that should be considered, he should let me know.

In reality, the problem of retail prices raised by the member is a provincial responsibility. The provinces are responsible for regulating prices. That is why I suggest that the hon. member speak with representatives of the Province of Quebec.

National Security

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

Mr. Speaker, an audit of Transport Canada found that up to 5,000 confidential documents related to air security and national security were posted on an open database. Now the Liberal government is asking for more information for its insecure database, such as passport numbers, credit card information and other sensitive data.

Why should the public trust the Liberal government with their personal data when it already has shown its total incompetence in securing it?

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is correct in terms of the information that was inappropriately put on the website. An internal audit of Transport Canada caught the error and we have been assured that no security damage was done. I think the hon. member should be congratulating the department for actually catching an error and making a remedial action.

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

Mr. Speaker, it was on the Internet. It used to be that passengers only had to worry about losing their bags. Now they have to worry about losing their identities.

The computer database was leaking like a sieve for a long time before the minister and his transport department finally fixed it. Now they are still asking for more information to put into the database.

If the transport minister really wants to take action, what he could do is offer amendments to his Bill C-17, which asks for all kinds of information to be put into an insecure database, and make sure that the database is secure before asking Canadians to trust the government with their most personal information when it has shown complete incompetence in terms of securing it.

[David Collenette, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is, inadvertently I am sure, misleading the House in mixing up the issue of the inappropriate information on the website from Transport Canada and Bill C-17.

Appropriate safeguards for personal information have been incorporated into Bill C-17. If the hon. member is still dissatisfied, he has the opportunity at committee to try to convince us to put forward amendments.

Official Languages

[Mauril Bélanger, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, at the Prime Minister's request, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs has been preparing an action plan to renew official languages in Canada for some time now. This has included consultations with official language communities, members of the House of Commons, senators, ministers, and the provinces, and I commend him on his work. However, we want to see this plan. He has said he would reveal the content of it after the budget is brought down.

Since this is the day before the budget, can the minister tell us if he has set a date for releasing his action plan?

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

Mr. Speaker, in her last annual report the Commissioner of Official Languages said that she was pleased with the government's increased investment in the two official languages of our country during the last year. However she correctly pointed out that the government must now take the forum of a strong action plan.

I am able to announce that the action plan for the renewal of Canada's official languages will be released in the national capital on March 12, by the Right Hon. Prime Minister of Canada.

Finance

[Judy Wasylycia-Leis, NDP, Winnipeg North Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in the last three years the Liberals have been off in their projection of the surplus by $32.2 billion. Since taking office they have missed the mark by $80 billion.

It is a giant shell game that hides the real choices facing Canadians. Now the TD Bank is projecting a surplus of some $34.9 billion over the next three years.

My question is for the acting Prime Minister. Will the government come clean with Canadians tomorrow and stop hiding billions of dollars in surplus?

[Bryon Wilfert, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I totally reject the comment about coming clean. The government in fact is the envy of the industrialized world in terms of how people are back to work now. We have had five consecutive budget surpluses or better. We are the only G-7 paying down the national debt. We are in very good financial shape.

To suggest that somehow we are playing shell games, I do not know where she is coming from but I know we are dealing with reality over here.

Health

[Svend Robinson, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my supplementary is for the Minister of Health.

On Thursday morning the Prime Minister will meet with territorial premiers on the issue of the northern health care crisis. I want to ask the Minister of Health whether the Prime Minister will finally listen to northerners, to Roy Romanow and to every provincial premier and agree to a territorial health care fund of one-half percent per territory of total new health care funding in the accord in addition to per capita funding.

If the government can come up with over $60 million to give a tax write-off to the Ottawa Senators, surely it can do nothing less for the desperate health care needs of northern Canadians. Will it come up with--

[The Speaker]

The hon. Minister of Health.

[Anne McLellan, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that the Prime Minister will listen intently to the views of the three territorial leaders who are, in fact, with us this afternoon.

In fact, as has often been referenced in the House, we on the government side are all aware of the unique health challenges that are faced by those who live in the north. I look forward to the meeting that the Prime Minister will have with the three territorial leaders because I know working together--