House of Commons Hansard #80 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was money.
Maurizio Bevilacqua LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for her question. I know it is an issue that she cares about as much as we do. As the hon. member would remember by reading Bill C-8, she would understand that consumer protection is indeed a major part of Bill C-8 that deals precisely with the issues with which she is concerned.
Jocelyne Girard-Bujold Bloc Jonquière, QC
Mr. Speaker, the work of the Senate Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce has revealed that the Minister of Finance does not have a single study on the macroeconomic impact of bank mergers.
Will the minister admit that it would be irresponsible to authorize bank mergers before such studies are completed?
Maurizio Bevilacqua LiberalSecretary of State (International Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows the merger review process includes the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions as well as the Competition Bureau, precisely to deal with competition issues as well as safety and soundness.
The request that myself and the Minister of Finance made to the finance committee was to clarify the second component of the public interest assessment, to clarify that issue.
We look forward to reviewing the report, and as soon as we have the answers we will of course report to the House.
Rahim Jaffer Canadian Alliance Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue is doing her best to alienate customs agents that protect Canadians. First she called them glorified bank tellers and earlier this week she said: “Giving guns to customs officers would be like giving 3,000 accidents an opportunity to happen”. The only accident is the minister.
How does the minister expect customs agents to keep our borders secure, protect themselves and Canadians if she will not allow them to be armed?
Elinor Caplan LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, for a moment I thought I heard the voice of Charlton Heston, the spokesman for the American gun lobby, but in fact we have the official gun lobbyist here for the Alliance Party.
He would know that the commissioner of the RCMP, Mr. Zaccardelli, has said very clearly that customs officers should not have guns. The job hazard analysis was conducted by an independent expert in this area. In her early working draft said that it would be like having an accident waiting to happen.
I would say to the member opposite: get with the program.
Jim Abbott Canadian Alliance Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, the government's irrational aversion to guns in the hands of enforcement officers continues to place Canada's park wardens at personal risk. They have been ordered back to campground patrols. Like domestic disputes handled by armed police officers, settlement of campground disputes is the most unpredictable and dangerous of all enforcement in our parks.
Why does the government continue to believe that park wardens and the Canadian public do not deserve protection.
Don Boudria LiberalMinister of State and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, this question has been answered many times before. Obviously--
Don Boudria Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
The hon. member says not satisfactorily. It was quite satisfactory.
My colleague just behind me a while ago thought she had her Charlton Heston. I can now confirm that we did not.
Eugène Bellemare Liberal Ottawa—Orléans, ON
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice.
In its decision on the application of the Contraventions Act in Ontario, the Federal Court ordered the federal government to modify its agreement with Ontario to ensure that linguistic rights set out in the Criminal Code and in the Official Languages Act are clearly mentioned.
Can the minister inform the House whether the agreement has been modified accordingly, and what measures the government plans on taking to ensure linguistic rights are respected in Ontario?
Martin Cauchon LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for this very important question.
It will be recalled that a Federal Court decision required the government to modify the agreement on contraventions with Ontario, in order to ensure that the quasi constitutional linguistic rights set out in sections 530 and 530.1 of the Criminal Code and Part IV of the Official Languages Act were reflected and the agreement adjusted accordingly.
I would simply like to report to the House that earlier this week, an official agreement was reached with the Government of Ontario to ensure that we can move forward with the required elements of this Federal Court decision.
Bev Desjarlais NDP Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the World Health Organization recommended screening measures for travellers departing the Toronto airport to contain the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome.
SARS is already beginning to spread beyond Toronto. A case was reported yesterday in Winnipeg. Could the Minister of Transport tell the House if the government has begun screening passengers as the World Health Organization recommends, and what steps, if any, have been taken to protect airport workers and other travellers from the risk of contracting this deadly disease?
Anne McLellan LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, after the WHO recommendation was issued yesterday my officials began discussions with the GTAA, the airport authority at Pearson international. It is now in the process of developing a plan to respond to the WHO recommendation. My officials will be talking to officials at the GTAA later this afternoon to outline the specifics of the proposed plan.
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, steelworkers and steel producers alike are appalled at the inability of the government to halt the flood of cheap steel plate from China, Brazil, South Africa, Italy and Romania. The latest casualty of government inaction is the closure of the plate mill at Hamilton's Hilton Works, which means the dislocation of another 200 jobs.
Would the minister of state for finance tell the House how the government is planning to protect these vital Canadian industries, jobs and communities such as Hamilton and Sault Ste. Marie from the impact of cheap offshore steel?
Murray Calder LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade
Mr. Speaker, the government is studying this right now and, quite frankly, the issue of imports remains most critical. The key factor for the steel producers and users in Canada is ensuring the free flow of steel in North America, and we are watching that.
Gerald Keddy Progressive Conservative South Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, the constituents of Perth—Middlesex have no representation in the House.
The Stratford Festival in Perth--Middlesex is the largest theatre festival in Canada and is of great importance to the local economy, drawing more 600,000 tourists each year. Many of these tourists are Americans and many will be deterred from attending the festival this season owing to border delays and government anti-American rhetoric.
Would the Prime Minister inform the House when an election will be called in Perth--Middlesex so those people can have representation in this place?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is fully aware of his constitutional responsibilities and has called many byelections in the past. He will follow the normal procedures.
Loyola Hearn Progressive Conservative St. John's West, NL
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Fisheries Resource Conservation Council made a recommendation to the minister in relation to the state of the northern cod stocks, noting clearly that in the past recommendations made were not adhered to. It also said that no single action, such as closing the recreational fishery, can solve the problem, but a full comprehensive set of strategies must be followed.
Will the minister now tell us clearly that he will accept a clear set of strategies?
Robert Thibault LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for this very important and pertinent question and I would also like to thank the FRCC for the incredibly good work it did in hearing all the communities under a very difficult set of circumstances. On the FRCC's recommendations, I am studying them very carefully, as well as the all party committee, the Quebec industry committee, and look, as we always have, to implementation of the ecosystem approach, where we cannot look just at one single species but we have to study the entire ecosystem in rebuilding the stocks.
Maurice Vellacott Canadian Alliance Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Mr. Speaker, some brave hearts from Canada's first nations communities have enlisted themselves with the American forces and are fighting alongside our American friends in the coalition of the willing.
The Canadian Prime Minister would not approve Canadian troops to fight alongside Americans in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Why will the defence minister not commend these aboriginal Canadian soldiers for fighting alongside our friends and allies against Saddam Hussein?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, it is known that a number of Canadians, voluntarily, as described, are participating with the U.S. forces and the same appreciation that we have expressed for the men and women officially attached to British and American units also applies to these individuals. We salute all of these people who are putting their own lives in jeopardy in the cause of peace.
Peter Goldring Canadian Alliance Edmonton Centre-East, AB
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow at 12 noon thousands will gather on Parliament Hill to stand up and show support for the allied forces in the fight to free Iraq. The allies fight to remove the butcher of Baghdad. They fight to remove the threat of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. They fight while weaker leaders dither and quiver behind public opinion polls.
Will the Prime Minister listen to the calls for our government to stand up with our allies to help free the people of Iraq? Will he?
Bill Graham LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to be consistent in absolutely working toward problems of disarmament of governments like the Iraqi government, which we have always worked on with our American allies through the right multilateral process, which by the way is supported by a majority of Canadians.
I respect those who wish to come to Parliament Hill and demonstrate their support for our American allies. Believe me, we too believe our American allies are very important and we are working with them in resolving these terrible problems in the world. We will continue to work with them as allies. We will not be stopped by this sort of rhetoric that we are getting from the other side.
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, this government claims to be keeping Canada's international credibility at its highest level while complying with the treaties it has signed, including existing agreements between Canada and the International Civil Aviation Organization. However, it is preventing the ICAO from using the powers conferred upon it by these agreements by refusing to let the ICAO move into the premises made available to it by the Government of Quebec since June 2002.
Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs confirm that the complexity he referred to on February 12 comes from his officials wanting to take advantage of the situation to revisit these agreements by imposing something very similar to administrative tutelage on the ICAO?
International Civil Aviation OrganizationOral Question Period
Toronto Centre—Rosedale Ontario
Liberal
Bill Graham LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Absolutely not, Mr. Speaker. We have a very good relationship with the ICAO. We are working closely with the organization to find the premises it needs. We will take all necessary steps, as we have in the past, to make sure that this international organization remains in Montreal and has appropriate offices to work in.