Debates of May 13th, 2003

Cyprus

[Eleni Bakopanos, Liberal, Ahuntsic, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I address this Chamber today in order to wish the most cordial of welcomes to His Excellency, the High Commissioner of Cyprus, on the occasion of his visit to Canada.

Canada has always encouraged and supported the complete and permanent settlement of the Cyprus issue via United Nations resolution.

Today there is a new beginning to end the close to 30 year impasse of the Cyprus problem. It is a new era for all the people of Cyprus.

I was extremely pleased to be informed last month, just over a week following the April 16 signing of the accession treaty for Cyprus to the European Union, that thousands of Greek Cypriots, including family and friends of mine, crossed Europe's last great dividing line, the so-called “green line”.

These individuals were able to visit their native homes for the first time since Turkey's invasion in 1974. They were able to set foot on their native soil for the first time in almost 30 years.

Canada will continue to work with the UN to persuade Turkey and the Turkish-Cypriot leader to work within the UN process to end the division of Cyprus and bring unity to the Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

We wish the newest member of the EU, the Republic of Cyprus, peace and unity.

Perth—Middlesex

[Gerald Keddy, Progressive Conservative, South Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, today is indeed a historic day for Progressive Conservatives, for Ontarians, for Canadians and especially for Gary Schellenberger, the newly elected Progressive Conservative member of Parliament for Perth--Middlesex.

Today is the first day of many more days to come that will highlight a return to issues based politics and the denial of a regional, divisive and ineffective official opposition.

The new member of Parliament for Perth--Middlesex should be commended for running a clean, principled campaign. He stayed on message even when the member of Parliament for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast tried to make a mountain out of an earpiece.

That unprecedented attack showed the voters of Perth—Middlesex the clear strategy of the Canadian Alliance, to defeat a Progressive Conservative and elect a Liberal.

The tide has finally turned and once again the Liberals will be held accountable to the people of Perth--Middlesex.

I congratulate Gary Schellenberger.

National Nursing Week

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the recent outbreak of SARS has reminded us of the dedication, commitment and compassion of Canada's nurses.

The new health accord shifts how and where we care for patients; home care, palliative care and mental health issues are now national priorities.

The delivery of this new system will rest squarely on the shoulders of nurses. Today there are 232,000 RNs in Canada, half of whom will retire in 10 to 15 years. By 2011 we will face a shortage of 78,000 nurses. The recruitment and maintenance of nurses must become a priority for governments.

The high stress, high risk environment in which nurses work and their rising frustration are a direct result of the lack of respect we give them. They are overworked, underpaid and undervalued.

Yet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in community health care centres and clinics, metropolitan teaching hospitals or isolated nursing stations, nurses continue to provide needed care for Canadians.

This week is National Nursing Week. It is time to publicly thank Canada's nurses because nursing is at the heart of our health care system.

[Rob Merrifield, Canadian Alliance, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is National Nursing Week and an opportunity for Canadians to celebrate the important role that nurses play in the well-being of Canadians.

Nurses are a valuable part of the health care delivery team, working hard day and night to relieve the pain and provide comfort for family members and loved ones.

This year Canadian nurses deserve a special recognition for their work in the global struggle against SARS. Despite the lack of leadership by the federal health minister, and at a time of great uncertainty and risk, nurses from across this country, especially from Toronto, have indeed been valuable frontline workers caring for the sick and supporting the efforts to contain this virus. Nurses have led the way in continuing to meet the challenging need of Canadians touched by this outbreak. Indeed, Canadian nurses have constantly demonstrated that they are the heart in health care.

I invite members to join me in acknowledging the significant contribution nurses are making, and I extend my warmest thanks to our Canadians nurses.

Auberge Grand-Mère

[Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, in July of last year the RCMP applied for a search warrant against the National Post for files on the Prime Minister's Grand-Mère dealings. It turned out that when the RCMP applied for the warrant and it had an obligation to provide the court with full and complete information, that did not happen. Information was withheld.

Has the Solicitor General inquired with the RCMP as to why it applied for and received a search warrant based on incomplete information?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the court documents speak for themselves, and as the member well knows, the RCMP makes its own judgments in such matters. However I can tell the member that all the relevant facts of this affair have long since been known, have long since been on the record, have long since been examined, and the hon. member would do better to spend his time and attention focusing on issues that are of relevance to the Canadian people rather than chasing shadows in matters that have long since been put to rest.

[Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I say to the Prime Minister that if he really wants to stonewall this, he would be better than to send the minister who is responsible for the Airbus investigation.

The manager of the BDC branch involved provided police with a statement on the granting of this loan. She said that the loan would never have been approved without the interference of the Prime Minister, yet this and other information was left off the application for the search warrant.

Will the Solicitor General allow an independent investigation into why the police were using incomplete information to obtain a search warrant to intimidate a major newspaper?

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Solicitor General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am absolutely amazed that the Leader of the Opposition continues to not only malign individuals and malign agencies that are recognized as among the best around the world. The fact of the matter is the RCMP takes action which it deems appropriate. It did take the appropriate action in this course and that is where it should be left.

[Stephen Harper, Canadian Alliance, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, let me ask the minister responsible for the BDC a question since he seems so enthusiastic to stand up. Officials at the BDC were clear. The Grand-Mère Inn did not qualify for loans, but the BDC is supposed to be independent of government. However one phone call from the Prime Minister and the loan was approved.

Is this normal practice at the BDC? If not, has the minister responsible ordered an investigation into how the BDC is operating?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, all the relevant facts are on the table. They have been examined time and again. The record is quite clear.

One thing I can observe, is the people of Perth district or Stratford, Ontario, that whole region, have been watching very carefully the behaviour of the Alliance Party and yesterday they expressed their view of the performance of the Alliance and its leader. We agree with their judgment.

[Chuck Strahl, Canadian Alliance, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, considering the minister does not even know where Perth—Middlesex is, he is a fine one to make those comments.

The last time the Prime Minister was in hot water over inappropriate loans to the Auberge Grand-Mère, a judge authorized officials to search the home of the BDC president and to seize and destroy any documents related to the financial file of the Auberge Grand-Mère; to search and destroy the evidence.

Now it has been revealed that documents related to the Grand-Mère Inn have indeed gone missing, this time from BDC headquarters. They are missing and presumed destroyed, and the RCMP did not even bother reporting the loss during its application for a search warrant.

Is the government finally convinced that this sordid affair deserves a full independent investigation or will it leave that--

[The Speaker]

The Minister of Industry.

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the matter has been investigated and every relevant fact has been examined and has been laid on the table. These members will do themselves no good by poking through the embers of a dead affair trying to advance their political interests by attacking the reputation of a man who in 40 years has achieved more for this country than that party ever will.

[Chuck Strahl, Canadian Alliance, Fraser Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the industry minister that the last industry minister who wore the flak jacket for the Prime Minister has a different mailing address today than he had back then.

At one time, Liberal spokesmen said the following, “that the government never interferes in the loan granting operations of the Business Development Bank”. After the bank president was let go, after the local bank manager said that this thing should have never been approved, what will it take exactly for this industry minister to call an independent investigation, or will he leave that to the member for LaSalle—Émard to do the dirty work for him?

[Allan Rock, Liberal, Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the ethics counsellor has examined this issue. The relevant facts have been looked at time and again. The ethics counsellor's decision was made, in writing, available to all members of the House of Commons.

All these matters have been considered and gone into time and again. What we are seeing here is a desperate party with nothing to offer of any relevance to Canadians, no position of value of the true issues facing this country, looking backwards yet again.

Marijuana

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice had barely completed the presentation of his marijuana bill to Cabinet and he was off to Washington to discuss its contents with United States Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Does the Prime Minister think it right that his government should consider it more important to get Washington's okay on this than to inform the members and the public of his intentions?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the minister has regular contacts with the U.S. Attorney General, and this was one of their meetings.

As for the matter of changing and modernizing penalties relating to marijuana, it will remain illegal, but the penalties will be different.

Of course, if the Americans want to know more about our bill, I have no objections to telling them, once Parliament has decided.

[Gilles Duceppe, Bloc, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber crisis, the anti-missile shield, GMOs and decriminalization of marijuana, are all areas in which the federal government is groveling before the Bush administration.

Is the Prime Minister telling us that this is now the legislative process: cabinet decision, followed by the thumbs up from Washington, followed by first reading, second reading, third reading? Is this what we have come to?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the matter has been examined. Reports have been received from the House.

The best proof of the independent nature of our decisions is that, when we reached a decision not all that long ago in connection with the war in Iraq, our position had been clear for the past year, and we stuck to it despite protests from some, because this country is capable of making its own decisions, since we are independent.

[Richard Marceau, Bloc, Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, under the usual process for drafting and considering a bill, cabinet decisions are discussed by the Liberal caucus and the bill is introduced in the House, where it is debated and amended as needed, then passed.

Is the reason the Minister of Justice is in such a rush to go to Washington because he wants to leave as much latitude as possible to make the changes recommended by the U.S., without it appearing obvious and without anyone knowing?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there will be a bill, and at that time the member can say, “this line comes from the Americans; this line comes from the British; this line comes from the Bloc Quebecois; this line comes from the Liberal caucus”.

When the bill is before the House, he can make all the comments he wants. However, there will be a bill to modernize sentencing for marijuana.

[Richard Marceau, Bloc, Charlesbourg—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister admit that by going to Washington, the Minister of Justice is confirming that the legislative process has become an insignificant detail, since the changes that will be made to the bill will be done in backrooms in the U.S. and not here, by the federal government?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I have nothing to add. There will be legislation that the members can debate. There have been recommendations from both the House of Commons and the Senate.

We will be introducing a bill on this whole issue. Very soon, there will be a bill to modernize sentencing for offences involving marijuana.

[Bill Blaikie, NDP, Winnipeg—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister who must have had a tough decision to make whether to brief the provisional government of the member for LaSalle--Émard first or brief the American government first. The one thing that did not seem to occur to the Prime Minister was to put down the new marijuana law here in Parliament for members of Parliament who should have seen it first.

Why this contempt for Parliament?

[Jean Chrétien, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the law is not completed by the government as of yet. We cannot table something that does not exist. When the law is ready, it will be tabled in the House of Commons for first reading, second reading and third reading. He knows that. He has been around for a long, but probably he has nothing very serious to ask about, so he has tried to create a problem again.