House of Commons Hansard #92 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was quebec.
Sheila Copps LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I hope that when the Minister of Finance and I are ready to make an announcement, we will be able to do so in Montreal where the artists themselves launched their plea. Others did likewise in Toronto, the Maritimes and from one ocean to the other. Obviously, this cause has touched all Canadians.
James Moore Canadian Alliance Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, here we are again. Eight air carriers have died in the six years that the transport minister has been imposed on Canadians and the air industry. Air Canada is in bankruptcy protection with 35,000 jobs in limbo. Today we learned that WestJet's profit in this quarter is down 89% compared to where it was last year.
How many more signals does the transport minister need? How many more notifications does he have to get to figure out that his air policies have failed and that it is his responsibility to lower taxes and respond to get more people flying and to help the air industry rather than tax it into the ground, which is all he has done?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member seems oblivious to the fact that the world economy has been under great stress. We have had the war in Iraq. In Canada we have had the threat of SARS.
This is not a Canadian phenomenon only. This is also an international problem, one that has been heralded by the fact that two major carriers in the United States are under bankruptcy protection and American Airlines is teetering on the balance of bankruptcy protection.
I think the hon. member should try to frame his questions in a larger context, understanding that this is a problem that is worldwide.
James Moore Canadian Alliance Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, the transport minister does not know what he is talking about. It is a Canadian problem.
In the United States, Southwest Airlines is reporting a profit. Last week JetBlue reported a profit. In Europe, Ryan Air is reporting a profit. Their profits are going up. WestJet's profits are going down, because in jurisdictions where taxes are lower, the air industry is doing better. In Canada it is being devastated by the transport minister.
Two weeks ago the transport committee unanimously supported the Canadian Alliance position to eliminate the air tax, to cut air fuel taxes in half and to put a freeze on landing fees and airport rents. When will the transport minister implement any one of these three recommendations?
David Collenette LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, as I have said on a number of occasions, we are looking at the issue of airport rents. I might remind the hon. member that when those airport authorities signed agreements with the crown, they did so with the full knowledge of what the terms would be on the life of those particular agreements.
In the real world sometimes people do not make profits. In the real world when we sign a deal, we sign a deal and we go into it knowing to what we are entitling ourselves and what the obligations are.
I would ask the hon. member to take a broader view of this and understand the whole context in which Canadian airlines are operating and the Canadian aviation industry is operating.
Andy Savoy Liberal Tobique—Mactaquac, NB
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.
There is a stretch of Trans-Canada Highway in my riding that claims on average nine lives a year. We are home to the most trucks per capita in Canada and to many industries such as agriculture, forestry and manufacturing which rely on these roads daily.
The $400 million highway twinning agreement was made last August between federal and provincial governments. It has now been eight months and my constituents have seen no sign of construction.
Could the minister please inform Canadians why this much needed construction has been delayed?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister announced money for this highway last August. We fully expected the province would wield the shovel, lay the asphalt and get on with the job. Instead it went to sleep for eight months, despite the fact we told it time and again there was nothing to prevent it from proceeding with the construction.
After eight months of slumber, the province has finally come alive, only to whine about the federal government. We think it should build the road. That is what is needed. We have been waiting for it to do that. Why has it not? Could it have anything to do with the fact that it is about to call a provincial election?
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, last year the Russian ship Olga had 49 tonnes of cod, which is under a moratorium, in its hold and Canada did nothing.
I have a Russian manifest of another ship that had the equivalent of 650,000 pounds of groundfish in its hold on April 8, 2002 in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland. Again the government did absolutely nothing.
Why does the government destroy and kill the hopes and aspirations of Newfoundland fishermen and their families and does nothing to the foreigners who rape and pillage our resource?
Robert Thibault LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, it would be helpful if the hon. member would learn to read page two of the manifest.
On occasion some of those vessels which are out fishing for over a year at a time visit many fishing waters, transship from one vessel to the other and can have their results of fishing not only in the waters of Canada's jurisdiction but in other parts of the world.
We verify and if we do not like it, we take action when there are illegal activities. That is why we use air flights, satellite monitoring and the observer program.
Peter Stoffer NDP Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the thousands of Newfoundland fishermen and their families and the plant workers and their families, I would like the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans through the medium of television to stand up and tell those people once and for all, will he revisit the decision he made last Thursday?
Robert Thibault LiberalMinister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy that the hon. member is speaking for the people of Newfoundland, but I am a lot more happy that they have better representatives in this very chamber.
The decision I made, as I indicated to him yesterday, was a very difficult decision, a decision made--
FisheriesOral Question Period
The Speaker
Order. Now I cannot hear a word. The Chair has to be able to hear the answer the minister is giving. If everybody yells at the same time, it is quite impossible. The hon. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has the floor. He might say something out of order and I have to be able to hear it.
Robert Thibault Liberal West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, as I was indicating, in debate last night and in the press conference we indicated that we made a very difficult decision, a decision to conserve, protect and rebuild those stocks in order to have resources for those very communities in future generations and in future years.
Joe Clark Progressive Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I asked the minister of international development whether during her visit to China in January she had heard information leading her to believe that there might be an outbreak in China of a new contagious disease and whether she had discussed that with colleagues or officials here. She replied categorically no.
I have submitted a question asking for the production of relevant papers. I wonder if on reflection the minister would like to reconsider her answer.
Susan Whelan LiberalMinister for International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, I was in China in early January. I believe the dates were January 9 to January 12. SARS had not been identified by the World Health Organization as a concern in China at that time. During my visit I was never made aware of any information regarding the early stages of SARS.
Gerald Keddy Progressive Conservative South Shore, NS
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just told the House he never spoke to Mr. Brundtland. Yesterday the Minister of Health said:
As Dr. Brundtland and I discussed last week, as the Prime Minister and Dr. Brundtland discussed, and as my colleague Tony Clement and I have discussed--
Why the fabrication on behalf of the Prime Minister?
Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Brundtland wears skirts. I talked to her last week and she called me yesterday. She acted very diligently. I told her that we appreciated that. Last week the Minister of Health called her very rapidly the morning after I called the former prime minister of Norway. She acted very well and very responsibly. We are grateful for that.
Jim Abbott Canadian Alliance Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday my colleague asked the Minister of Industry if he accepted the industry committee report which called for the lowering of ownership restrictions in the telecommunications and broadcasting industry. He did not answer. He just kind of waffled around.
The heritage minister also has an interest in this report. I want to ask her, does she agree with the industry committee report that the foreign restrictions should be lowered on telecommunications and particularly on broadcasters and broadcast distribution?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the rules of the House adopted by all members provide that after a committee makes a report the government is given an opportunity, 150 days, to consider and respond. We are going to take advantage of that opportunity to look carefully at a report that the committee worked very hard on and which contains wide ranging recommendations. These are important matters. It is an excellent report. We will look at it very carefully. We will come back with a reasoned response as soon as we practically can.
Jim Abbott Canadian Alliance Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, this issue is an issue that has been in the public domain for a fair length of time. It is very interesting that the heritage minister does not seem to be particularly silent when it comes to talking about the health minister. I wonder if she could talk about this particular report. Does she agree or does she not agree that the foreign ownership restrictions should be lowered, yes or no? Or has the cat got her tongue?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, this remarkable and insatiable curiosity the hon. member has will just have to be satisfied in some other way.
I think the only responsible thing to do is to take the time necessary to look at the report. In fact, members on this side, all of us, are going to discuss it and consider it and plot the way forward. As soon as we have done that, we will respond, certainly within the time limits prescribed by the House, so that the hon. member will have his answer.
Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry is shirking his responsibilities by repeating that the retail price of gasoline is a provincial matter. But we are not asking him a question about prices, but rather about possible competition problems, and competition is his responsibility.
Instead of engaging in a battle of wits, the minister ought to be worrying about the hundreds of millions of dollars in profit that the oil and gas companies pocketed during the first three months of 2003. Does he realize that it is irresponsible not to ask the Competition Bureau to investigate?
Allan Rock LiberalMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, I was not prepared yesterday, nor am I prepared today, nor will I be prepared tomorrow, to agree that the federal government should act in a provincial jurisdiction. It is unacceptable. The Bloc members are the ones trying to centralize. This is unacceptable. I insist that provincial jurisdiction be respected, especially in a matter as important as this.
Paul Crête Bloc Kamouraska—Rivière-Du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Mr. Speaker, what the minister is doing is making himself an active accomplice in a situation where millions of consumers are being penalized. He is refusing to use the Competition Bureau to investigate a situation that does not make sense.
Is the minister going to assume his responsibilities or wait until the Standing Committee on Industry, Sciences and Technology does it for him?