Debates of March 26th, 2003

Guaranteed Income Supplement

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

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I itemized for the House three particular strategies that the government undertakes to ensure that Canadians who are eligible for pensions know about their eligibility. I can add to that list.

In 1999 we sent out 56,000 letters to seniors over 65 who are entitled but have not applied for CPP to remind them to apply. We have done another mail out to seniors over 65 and it has already started for this year. The hon. member will be interested to know that in the year 2001-02 we sent out 12.9 million statements of contributions to contributors to these programs.

We are anxious to be sure that--

[The Speaker]

The hon. member for Crowfoot.

Correctional Service of Canada

[Kevin Sorenson, Canadian Alliance, Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Solicitor General has absolutely no problem parading or exploiting the Canadian Police Association's position when it is in agreement, but he totally dismisses it when it disagrees. Yesterday, the Solicitor General not only ignored the police association's demand for an end to club fed prisons, but he basically told the association it was out to lunch and that no such resort prisons existed.

Golfing, fishing, whale watching off the Pacific coast, what does the Solicitor General call this, Liberal style hard time?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate the Canadian Police Association on its well documented presentation to the members of the committee so that we can hear about the situation on the ground.

I made my position absolutely clear yesterday on club fed. There is no such thing as a club fed in Canada and we will not have club feds in this country.

However, in talking to the Canadian Police Association members last night, where they did run into roadblocks was from that party over there when it talks about gun control because those members are not listening to the police association.

Electoral Boundaries Commission

[The Speaker]

It is my duty pursuant to section 21 of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act to lay upon the table a certified copy of the report of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Ontario.

This report is deemed permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

Team Canada

[Pierre Pettigrew, Liberal, Minister for International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the Team Canada Inc. annual report for 2002.

Committees of the House

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the 24th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the criteria for determining the items of Private Members' Business which will not be votable.

This list of criteria is established pursuant to the third report of the Special Committee on the Modernization and Improvement of the Procedures of the House of Commons concurred in on March 17, 2003.

I also have the honour to present the 25th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership and associate membership of the committees of the House.

If the House gives its consent I intend to move concurrence of the 25th report later this day.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(f), the committee has considered and held hearings on the application of the Official Languages Act and the Contraventions Act and agreed on Wednesday, March 19, to report on it. This matter was brought to the attention of the committee by the member for Lanark—Carleton.

The committee's recommendation is that, essentially, Justice Canada take whatever legislative and regulatory means it has at its disposal to ensure that language rights protected under sections 530 and 530.1 of the Criminal Code and part IV of the Official Languages Act be respected.

Finally, the committee is asking for a response from the government.

[Scott Reid, Canadian Alliance, Lanark—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I presented a dissenting report to this report. I agree with the general thrust of the report and I appreciate the cooperation of all the committee members in the preparation of the report. However, there was one element that I thought should have been included in the report, and that was, specifically, a reference to the matter that caused the issue of federal contravention notices, tickets, to come to the attention of the committee.

The fact of the matter is that the RCMP, at the time of the writing of the report and for several months before that, and to this day, continues to issue illegally and in violation of the Official Languages Act unilingual contravention notices within the boundaries of the National Capital Region in Gatineau.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Peterborough, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 25th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

[The Speaker: The Speaker]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to)

Petitions

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

Mr. Speaker, I again rise in the House to present petitions in support of Bill C-206, the caregiver legislation, which would employment insurance benefits to those who care for people under palliative care or severe rehabilitation.

Let it be shown that although the bill was debated yesterday, the family value party, the Alliance, its leader, as well as three-quarters of the Liberal Party voted against the bill to move it to committee to support and further debate. Let the record show that indeed happened.

[Cheryl Gallant, Canadian Alliance, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of eastern Ontario and throughout Canada, we are asking that Parliament recognize that the Canadian Emergency Preparedness College is essential to training Canadians for emergency situations; that the facilities should stay in Arnprior; and that the government should up upgrade the facilities in order to provide the necessary training to Canadians as promised.

[Jason Kenney, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present, on behalf of my constituents, a petition bearing the signatures of some 25 Calgarians calling upon the House to pass legislation to recognize the institution of marriage in federal law as being a lifelong union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others, which I note is consistent with the motion passed in this place three years ago.

[Karen Kraft Sloan, Liberal, York North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from my constituents who call upon Parliament to protect our children by taking all necessary steps to ensure that all materials which promote or glorify pedophilia or sado-masochistic activities involving children are outlawed.

[Dan McTeague, Liberal, Pickering—Ajax—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer to the House literally thousands of petitions that call upon Parliament to review current legislation as it relates to child pornography. In light of the three charges today in Toronto, it is certainly timely.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 153, 154, 162 and 163.

Question No. 153

[Rick Casson, Canadian Alliance, Lethbridge, AB]

With respect to the Business Development Bank of Canada, what was the number of loans authorized for: ( a ) each province; and ( b ) each year from 1993 to 2002?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

The answer is as follows:

Note: All data restated in September 2002 to exclude BDC Global Line of Credit, but still includes student business loans.

Question No. 154

[Keith Martin, Canadian Alliance, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

With regard to the government’s proposed cut to the armed forces post-living differential: ( a ) what are the government’s reasons for the cut; ( b ) what formula did the government use to calculate the cut to the post-living differential; ( c ) in what way, if any, does the government plan on compensating Canadian soldiers for this loss in income; and ( d ) will the government reverse its decision to cut the armed forces post-living differential?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

The post-living differential is paid within Canada at locations where the local cost of living is assessed to be higher than the Canadian Forces weighted average cost of living for all members based in Canada. A post-living differential payment is not part of base salary; it is a supplement to offset higher local living costs. Runzheimer Canada, an internationally renowned company specializing in cost of living data collection and compensation development, collects the data for annual calculations. Rates are assessed annually and post-living differential payments are amended accordingly.

Approximately 47% of the regular force, 27,000 members, receives a post-living differential. In 2002, while certain locations experienced cost of living changes that reduced the differential between local costs and the weighted average Canadian Forces cost of living, other locations experienced differential increases. For instance, post-living differentials paid to Canadian Forces members living in Quebec City and Halifax were raised.

A post-living differential is not based solely on the local cost of living; rather, it is paid to offset the difference between various local living costs, and the Canadian Forces weighted average cost of living. Rates are based on several variables, such as local accommodation costs, and federal and provincial income tax rates. These variables are combined with other indicators to establish the local cost of living. These costs are then compared to the Canadian Forces weighted average cost of living. This difference between local costs and the Canadian Forces weighted average is adjusted by the provincial marginal tax rate and the resulting amount is published as the annual post-living differential rate. There is no need to provide additional income when post-living differential rates decrease because these changes only take effect after the relative cost of living has already decreased.

The Department of National Defence continues to monitor the post-living differential program to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all Canadian Forces members.

Question No. 162

[Art Hanger, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Since the inception of the Canadian Forces Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP), how many soldiers have requested and how many actually qualified for Accidental Dismemberment Benefit from SISIP for injuries sustained while in a Theatre of Operations or a Special Duty Area for which members would be in receipt of both the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act (CFSA) Pension (or a return of pensionable contributions) and the Pension Act pension?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Three key public and private sector institutions hold the requested information: the Department of National Defence, Veterans Affairs Canada and Maritime Life. Compiling the data requires extensive interdepartmental and public-private sector co-ordination, and a manual search of existing and archival files. As a result, the information requested cannot be gathered during the time period allotted to respond to Order Paper questions.

Question No. 163

[Art Hanger, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Northeast, AB]

Since the inception of the Canadian Forces Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP), of those soldiers that qualified for Accidental Dismemberment Benefit from SISIP for injuries sustained while in a Theatre of Operations or a Special Duty Area for which members would be in receipt of both the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act (CFSA) Pension (or a return of pensionable contributions) and the Pension Act pension, what is the range of financial compensation provided by SISIP in terms of amount and duration of the benefit?